Chapter 1
"Y'know, call me crazy kid, but doesn't it seem a little pointless to be in the heart of Spain and order an American burger?" Victor Sullivan asked, taking a ravenous bite of his cheeseburger and washing it down with a sip of beer.
"Yeah, well we aren't exactly here for vacation, Sully." Drake responded absently while staring out the window. "Besides, we're on too tight of a budget to eat a nice fancy European meal every day."
"Fair enough." Sully responded with a shrug. "Well if we aren't here for vacation, what are we here for?"
"I told you, a job."
"I know that, but you haven't told me a goddamn thing about what we are supposed to be doing. I'm only here because I was flying over to London anyway and you said it would only take a day or two."
Drake glanced at Sully then back out the window again. After thinking for several moments, he pulled out a small folder from his bag and started sliding it across the table to his old friend.
"I can already say you won't be thrilled." Drake cautioned, but Sully simply scowled and snatched the folder. He opened it for a minute, scanned it, and then threw it down with disgust.
"Damn it, Nate, this isn't a job! This is a waste of time. All this will do is spark some big treasure hunt that will take you around the goddamn world and result in nothing. Haven't you learned anything?"
"This isn't going to end up like those times!" Drake defended, but Sully waved his hand dismissively.
"Ferdinand Magellan's log book? Kid, every time you go after something like this, it becomes something way bigger!" The older man barked, then lowered his voice when he realized how much attention he was attracting in the restaurant. "And that is something we just can't handle right now. We don't have that kind of time or money."
"I know, I know." Drake said, raising his hands defensively. "But I already told my employer that I'm getting the log book, then I'm out. Nothing else." Sully grumbled with contention, but stuffed his mouth with another bite instead of arguing any further.
"So what are we doing here, in this restaurant?" Sully asked, pulling Drake's attention away from the window once again. "And please tell me it has nothing to do with the museum down the street. I'm really not in the mood for a break in."
"We're just waiting." Drake said, readjusting his chair so he could look at Sully and the street at the same time. "How much do you know about Ferdinand Magellan?"
"Honestly? Not much." Sully conceded. Drake nodded, apparently expecting the response.
"Okay, well Magellan attempted to be the first man to ever circumnavigate the globe. He left Seville in 1519 on a mission from King Charles I of Spain to find a westward route to the Spice Islands in the South East. In 1521, he reaches the Philippine Islands, making his crew the first Spaniards to ever reach the Islands. It was while he was there on the island of Mactan that he was killed in battle and his crew fled, reaching Spain in 1522 with only one of the original four ships and a handful of the original 300 crew. The only detailed account we have of the expedition is the one written by Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian scholar who was on the expedition. But Pigafetta's account is entirely second-hand, and people speculate that Magellan's log book, which was never recovered, would bring more details about the expedition to light."
"Great story kid, but you're avoiding my question. What the hell are we doing here." Sully demanded.
"Yeah, you never were interested in my little history lessons." Drake said, laughing.
"No." Sully responded flatly. "Never was, never will be."
"Ouch Sully, that hurts." Drake said, feinting a look of pain on his face. "Alright, fine. My employer, Mr. Franco Correia, is a Magellan expert living in Portugal. For years he has been trying to prove that Magellan's log book survived, and wants to use it to collect more information than what we know Pigafetta's account. A couple years back, he finds out that this collector, Boreas Serrano, has the original log book stashed in his villa here in Madrid."
"So Signor Correia wants us to take it from Serrano?" Sully asked, his head tilted to the side with a hint of skepticism.
"Not exactly." Drake continued "It's much harder than that. See, when Correia found out that Serrano had the log book, he immediately contacted the guy. But Serrano claims to have gone through a lot of trouble to obtain the log book, and refuses to sell it for any price. That's when Correia decided he needed to steal it."
"And that's where we come in?"
"Almost. Correia was planning on paying one or two guys to steal the log book, but found out that Serrano's villa is like a fortress and with armed guards to boot. Getting in would be tough for five guys, and getting out would be almost impossible for ten. So Correia sat back and started saving up his money to pay off some mercenaries, when a few weeks ago a guy he knows, who gets info from the street, catches wind of a gang who plans on robbing the house. Apparently these guys are their own small army, and that gave Correia an idea. With proper timing, one or two guys could follow in the wake of the gang and find the log book, which would probably be overlooked by the thieves. So that's what we need to do: follow this gang, grab the log book, and get out." Drake concluded, sitting back. "Preferably without shooting anyone." He added as an afterthought.
"Or getting shot!" Sully cut in, shaking his head at his protégé. "Nate, this is a tough job, with a big risk factor. Is it really worth this little book?"
"Maybe not to us." Drake said, opening the folder and pointing at one of the papers. "But it's worth a hell of a lot to our friend Franco."
Sully whistled lowly at the payment figure listed on the paper. He glanced up at Drake, then back down at the paper.
"You really want to do this?"
"Why not?" Drake responded with a nervous smile and half shrug.
"I can think of ten good reasons…" Sully mumbled. He paused for a few minutes, rolling the base of his beer bottle in circles on the table as he thought. "Ah what the hell, I'm in." He exclaimed, leaning back in his chair to emphasize the conclusiveness of his statement. "If anything, because somebody needs to watch out for your stupid ass."
"Good." Drake said, staring intently out the window. "Then finish your beer, because I think this is them."
Drake stood and Sully started to his feet. He drained his bottle as he stood next to Drake, who pointed out a group of men walking along the sidewalk.
"That's definitely them."
"They don't look local." Sully commented, and Drake nodded.
"That's cause they aren't. They come from Indonesia and the Philippines." He explained. "They call themselves 'Tentera Preman Bersatu Padu'. I think 'Teppa' for short. It roughly translates to 'United Civilian Army'."
"Sounds hardcore. How come I've never heard of 'em?"
"Not many people have. They are fairly new but have been quickly growing over the past few years and have a major reputation for being incredibly vicious."
"And you want to fight these guys?" Sully asked incredulously.
"It's not really fighting; it's more along the lines of… Commensalism. "
"Whatever the hell that means." Sully grumbled as Drake led him out the restaurant and along the sidewalk behind the men.
"Alright Sully, I'll follow them on foot, you go over to the car and follow the directions I give you over the radio." Drake directed, and Sully gave a curt nod of understanding before heading down the street and around the corner. Drake turned and kept his eyes locked on the Teppa as they headed down Calle Esparteros and toward Calle Mayor.
"Where are you going?" Drake whispered as he began to stalk the thugs. The group was waiting to cross at a street corner when Sully buzzed in over the radio.
"Alright I'm in the car. Where are you guys?"
"The corner of Calle Mayor and Travesia Arenal."
"I'm on my way."
"Okay, well we are crossing onto the next block so I'll keep you posted." Drake said as he followed the thugs across the street and further down Mayor. The men stopped and argued for a bit then quickly stepped into a small shop.
"Did you just drive past me?" Drake asked into the radio as he saw Sully drive by going the opposite direction.
"It's a one way street, I can't tail you guys."
"That's fine." Drake said, watching as the Teppa stepped out of the shop, lit cigarettes now dangling in their mouths. "They just finished buying cigarettes, you can do another loop."
"Filthy habit."
"You're one to talk, how many cigars do you smoke a day?"
"Okay, in my defense cigars are not as bad. It's been proven."
"Oh yeah? By who?"
"Scientists."
"Scientists? Really?"
"Oh yeah, it was real big. Surprised you hadn't heard about it."
"Just… shut up and keep driving around."
"Easier said than done. I hate driving in Europe."
Drake shook his head and chuckled. Sometimes Sully was just too much to handle. But the older man was in one of his playful moods, which was good. It lessened the tension for Drake, who was more than a little nervous following the Teppa through Madrid. The small group of men turned down a side alley and Drake followed, keeping his distance.
"Alright, we're moving down a side alley, you can't follow us down it but you should be able to drive on Calle Bordadores, which I think runs parallel to the alley."
"Got it." Sully responded over the radio. "Say, it's getting pretty dark."
"Well what did you think, they would pull the heist in broad daylight?"
"Jesus, no need to be snappy, just trying to make conversation…"
Drake put away the radio and knit his eyebrows together in concentration as he followed the Teppa into a small café. The group moved through into the kitchen and towards a backdoor while Drake followed, ducking low behind a counter and walking as silently as he could. Drake raised his head slightly to peak at the Teppa when one of them glanced over. Drake dropped down quickly, praying silently that he hadn't been seen. Slowly, he reached out and grabbed a kitchen knife that was laying on the counter and held it close to his body. He felt his mouth go dry as the Teppa stood still, muttering to themselves. Drake angled the knife so he could get a reflection of the men, and was relieved to see them open the door and let it close.
"Oh thank God." Drake whispered as he stood up, laid down the knife, and moved to open the door. "I really thought I was screwed there for a mome-"
Just as Drake began heading through the doorway, a pair of strong hands from the other side grasped him and threw him against a wall in an alleyway behind the cafe. Two of the Teppa pinned him against the wall and a third approached him, waving a pistol wildly.
"Siapakah anda!?" The Teppa demanded, pointing his gun at Drake.
"Whoa, buddy, careful where you point that thing, you'll shoot your eye out!"
"Who are you!? Why are you following us?" The Teppa hissed, pressing the muzzle of the gun painfully into Drake's throat.
"Who, me?" Drake gasped, choking from the pressure on his larynx. "Oh I'm nobody, just a tourist." He laughed nervously as the Teppa squinted at him. For a moment, Drake thought he was going to be released, but his hopes fell as the radio in his pocket crackled to life.
"Hey Nate, what's going on? I haven't heard anything for a while. You okay?"
"Shit" Drake said under his breath as the Teppa with the gun grabbed the radio and pressed his gun to Drake's forehead.
"Wait." One of the Teppa who had been watching said, stepping forward. He was taller and darker than the others, with dead eyes, a half shaved head, and a tattoo running along his neck and cheek. "Are you Nathan Drake?" The man asked, brushing away the Teppa who was holding the gun and putting a finger under Drake's chin.
"Do I know you?"
The Teppa chuckled softly, shaking his head lightly. Suddenly, he punched Drake in the stomach with an incredible force, causing him to double over in pain. Drake grunted agonizingly as the two Teppa holding him straightened him up again.
"Kami mempunyai Nathan Drake di sini" The Teppa with the tattoo said into his radio. The radio buzzed something inaudible in return and the Teppa turned to Drake, smiling a humorless smile. He walked over and once again punched him hard in the gut.
"Listen, listen," Drake gasped "If this is because I didn't call you back or something, I just wasn't looking for a serious relationship at the time." The Teppa stepped over and delivered another punch, this time across Drake's chin. He waved off the two Teppa who were holding Drake and they released him, allowing him to fall to his knees.
"You are known very well, Drake. Yours is a reputation many people know of before they meet you ever." The marked Teppa said, grabbing Drake by the shirt collar and lifting him to his feet.
"Why is that never a good thing…" Drake commented as the fist came down on him once more, this time on the temple. Drake dropped to his hands and knees again, and the Teppa who was beating him reached down to pick him up.
Just as the man was bending down, however, Drake launched himself up, wrapping his arms around the man's knees and lifting him. Drake ran forward, ramming the man's body into the wall then turned around only to find himself once again staring down the barrel of the first Teppa's gun. The Teppa smiled victoriously at Drake, but before he could pull the trigger, a woman passing by the alley happened to spot them, and screamed. The Teppa turned, and while distracted Drake disarmed him and grabbed his radio back. With a quick jab for good measure, Drake spun around to run off. Just then, the tattooed Teppa stood and jumped over to block him, but Drake didn't stop moving. Instead, he ran forward, using the gun to whiplash the Teppa soldier in his way and bolt out of the alley.
"Sully, things went kinda sour, where are you?" Drake barked into the radio, looking around as panicked civilians started running and pushing each other.
"I'm on Bordadores, next to the church." Sully responded almost immediately.
"Pergi selepas dia! Go after him! Don't let him get away!" Drake could hear the Teppa shouting as he ran down the shopping strip towards the church. He didn't look back as he heard the Teppa run into the street, knowing the only way he could escape was in Sully's car. Suddenly, gunshots rang out from behind Drake, and a clothing store window next to his head shattered. Drake stumbled and fell to the floor, swearing as he pivoted and ran down the narrow street where he saw Sully's car with the engine already running.
Drake jumped into the passenger seat and closed the door just as a bullet hit the side view mirror, completely shattering it.
"Oh shit!" Sully exclaimed.
"C'mon Sully, we gotta get out of here! Step on it!" Drake cried out as another bullet connected with the windshield. Sully slammed on the gas and the car sped forward, shooting out onto Calle Mayor. "One way, Sully. It's one way, one way, you can't turn right!" Drake screamed as Sully tried to turn right and narrowly escaped a head on collision. The car spun around 180 degrees and shuddered to a stop, leaving the car pointed at two shocked police officers staring at them, hands on their pistols.
"Sully…"
"Yeah Nate?"
"Please drive.
"With pleasure." Sully stepped on the gas again, and the car shot forward. The officers pulled out their pistols and started shooting while at the same time the Teppa standing in the street started shooting at them as well. Sully and Drake ducked as the windows shattered, but soon they were out of the fire fight and looked back to see the Teppa and police shooting at each other.
"That should keep 'em busy." Sully said with a smile. "What the hell happened back there?"
"Apparently I am a very well-known and much disliked person." Drake said bitterly, using a cloth in the glove compartment to wipe blood from the corner of his mouth.
"No kidding." Sully said, chuckling and biting on a cigar he had apparently lit while waiting for Drake. "You know, there is one thing I don't understand." Sully said as they continued down the street. "These guys are a big criminal system getting ready to rob a fortress, but there were only five guys walking around. And it's not like we are close to the villa. Where are all the others?"
"I don't know Sully, but let's just be happy there were only five of them." Drake said. "Go straight past this train station, let's avoid Plaza Mayor." Sully nodded, but as they passed the parking lot, two trucks came to life and pulled up behind them. From the bed of each truck, three men stood, each wielding an AK-47.
"Ah there they are!" Sully said, immediately speeding up and swerving while honking at cars in the way.
"Oh shit…" Drake said as the trucks came closer and the Teppa in the beds took aim. "Alright Sully, it's getting dark so let's head over to the Parque del Retiro and try to lose them there."
"Sounds good to me, just tell me how to get there!" Before Drake could respond, the guns started going off, and Drake had to shout over the gunfire while ducking.
"Keep going straight until the road splits, then take a hard left onto Calle de Cedaceros! When you get to Calle de Alcalá, turn right!" Drake waited a second for the gunfire to lessen before climbing over his chair and into the back seat. Sully started swerving more to avoid cars while Drake kept low, using the seats as cover. Without raising his head, he held up his pistol and started firing rounds. Sirens could be heard in the distance, and Drake knew they were short on time.
"Let's get moving Sully!"
"What the hell do you think I'm doing?"
Sully turned the wheel hard, and Drake raised himself up, taking the opportunity to aim a few shots. A civilian car was in between him and the trucks, but Drake was able to aim the shot well enough to hit one of the Teppa, causing him to topple over the side of the truck.
"Oh yeah! How do you like that!?" Drake shouted before quickly ducking down again for cover. He blind fired a few more rounds before popping up and shooting a few more well-aimed bullets. This time he shot at the driver, and was able to hit him in the shoulder. The truck began to swerve and then crashed into the side of a small store.
"See ya!" Drake cried out victoriously, but was immediately silenced by a burst of shots that whizzed by his head.
"Things are getting pretty hot, kid! How close are we?" Sully shouted back from the driver's seat.
"We're close, this is plaza Cibeles. Keep heading straight and soon we will be at the park."
"No can do, Nate! Too many cops. I'm turning right!" Sully said, jerking the steering wheel.
"Sully, you can't do that, this is a one way-"
"I don't give a damn, just keep shooting!" Sully barked back. Drake dropped back into cover and tried to balance himself as Sully drove wildly along the street. Drake raised his head and paled at the site of the Teppa truck and three police vans following them. He fired a few bullets but then had to duck down. He was already running low on ammo. A quick glance told him they were driving the wrong way on Paseo del Prado
"Turn left on Calle Felipe IV!" Drake shouted, and Sully offered his silence as understanding. Within a few moments they veered hard to the left and Drake looked up again. Now several police vans were behind them, but there was no sign of the truck. While Drake was still trying to deduce where the Teppa truck had gone, bullets buzzed by him from the side window and Drake realized the truck was alongside them. Drake fired a few rounds, but soon his pistol was clicking with an empty chamber.
"He's out of ammo, give him hell!" One of the Teppa shouted, and bullets started raining down.
"Sully, I'm out of ammo, can we lose these guys?"
"Gimme a second…" Sully responded. The car turned a slight left and suddenly they were out onto the large Calle de Alfonso XII. Sully cut straight across the traffic instead of turning, but slammed on the brakes. The truck sped by them and Sully shifted gears again. Drake looked up just in time to see the truck get slammed into by another car. Sully avoided the collision and pulled up to the large ornate gates of the Parque del Retiro.
Drake and Sully jumped out of the car and ran over to the closed gate. Drake looked back and saw the collision had become a multi-car pileup, consisting of the truck, several civilian cars, and several of the police vans that had been tailing them. Many policemen were now on foot and trying to run across the street, weapons drawn, to stop Drake and Sully. The two men quickly scaled the gate, dropped down onto the other side, and ran into the park.
After running through the trees, fields, and bushes for about thirty minutes, Drake and Sully stopped to catch their breath.
"I think we lost 'em." Sully gasped, leaning against a tree.
"Maybe, but we got to keep moving." Drake said between breaths. "We have to get to the villa before the Teppa are finished."
"Goddamn Nate, you are crazy!" Sully said, shaking his head. "I think we are a little outnumbered, and outgunned!"
"Yeah well..." Drake said, smiling "Why change anything now?" Sully laughed and patted Drake on the shoulder, showing him he was ready to get moving.
"We really do have shit luck."
"Eh, it's not that bad." Drake said with a slight shrug "Besides, I'm sure we can 'convince' some of the Teppa to donate their guns to us." Sully stopped and looked Drake in the eyes.
"Are you really sure you want to be doing this? It's practically suicide."
"I'm sure." Drake said, smiling. "This isn't my first night at the rodeo."
"No, kid, be serious for a second." Sully said, kneading his eyebrows together. "You're engaged, you're about to become a family man. You can't keep doing stuff like this, and I know Elena doesn't approve."
"Yeah, well, I haven't even told her what we are doing. I told her it was just a research job. Apparently part of her saying yes to me was me getting a 'normal life'." Drake said, not without contempt.
"You've committed to a big thing here, but it's something I know you both want. Stop acting like it's such a goddamn burden." Sully said while pointing at Drake with an accusatory finger.
Drake cast his eyes down and to the side, avoiding eye contact with his older friend. Sully stared at him a few moments longer, then turned and started walking.
"Well, I guess we're gonna need to hotwire a car." Sully said. Drake nodded, and his eyes hardened as he transitioned from guilt to resolution. He had a job to do. It was time to do it.
Author's Notes: Sorry it took me a while to upload guys, been a busy week. Well I'm glad my prologue was able to hook some of you, and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! I'll continue uploading chapters, and you continue letting me know what you think. There's a bit of a reveal in chapter 2, some of you may have guessed it by now, some may still be surprised, but hang around and you'll find out! Thank you all for reading and reviewing!
