Snake had watched the report the past two nights and his name was still there. Hauk was a criminal. In the meantime he had scoured the streets for leads. Jersey was close enough to New York that someone may have seen him. Snake doubted even Hauk would head out to the anarchy of the northwest and LA wasn't his scene. That left south which would have led him right through Jersey.

It was a gamble and eventually it paid off. A gas dealer had seen a man of the commissioner's description heading south on 295. Plissken just needed to catch up. Washington DC would likely be his first stop down the coast and that was where Snake headed. Snake hadn't been there since the first time he was decorated in the military. Years, more then a decade, had passed since the last trip and Plissken wondered what that meant for the heart of the nation or it was before that prick in office moved the capitol to Lynchburg.

Washington DC was like eye candy to Snake once he arrived. Never had he seen so many bars, whorehouses…. And LA was worse then this? Snake couldn't imagine anything more sinful then what he saw on these streets. Plissken shook the feeling and changed his perspective. If he wanted to find the man he'd have to think like him.

Think like Hauk. The thought left a bad taste in Snake's mouth because all he could see was the balckbelly behind the desk preparing to betray him. Still it wasn't difficult. Hauk would need a place to stay and like Snake he smoked and drank heavily but he wouldn't go to a whore house to find those things like Snake would consider. That still left hundreds of choices.

The crowded streets frustrated Plissken and he found a place to stow his humvee near the Lincoln memorial. This was a task better handled on foot anyway. Snake wasn't uncomfortable on the streets but the sheer mass of people disturbed him. There were too many people to watch both for the man he sought and those that might be seeking him for something unpleasant.

Slowly his nerves wound tighter as the night progressed. He had to have a drink before his head burst from the presence of the masses around him. The pressure alleviated only a measure when he ducked into a nearly empty bar. The people were still outside, all of them and they could all follow him inside. Plissken's paranoia hit fevered pitch as he got a drink and made his way to the darkest spot he could find. He knew he needed to calm down.

Snake took a long drink before leaning his head back against the wall. It was cool stone and comforting in the August heat. A deep relaxing breath filled his lungs and he exhaled forcing away his thoughts of being followed. It was hard to shake, it always was. The twitching pain of his eye didn't make it any easier. Poison rain was coming. His eye never lied and that would mean soon he wouldn't be able to search. Snake picked up his drink and looked back out on the bar to see a man on the far stool drawing what looked like a submachine gun from under the bar. The barrel came to bear on Snake and he dropped the drink making for the door as screaming people and bullets started moving through the bar.

His eye never lies. He needed to remember that about his paranoia now it seemed. Snake shoved his way through the crowd and out the door. This wasn't what he needed, not again. His boots pounded the concrete but it still didn't stop the bullets and they forced him to take cover in a doorway before he got shot.

On the brightside the streets were clear now just like Plissken had wanted them. Now he wished the people were back and this lunatic was gone. Drawing his revolver Snake glanced around the corner. The man was at least partially gas crazy. Snake knew that look but who the fuck let a crazy get his hands on a gun. Obviously they needed their head examined for this piece of madness.

Snake needed to get out of the doorway before the crazy with the gun got to close and he couldn't make a break for it. The wide sparsely built streets didn't give Snake such a good feeling about running but what choice did he have. Pulling back the hammers on both revolvers the Snake braced himself for the run of his life. If he could make the trees on next block he could get away. He took a deep breath and took off for a stone fence whose pillars would offer some cover while he caught his breath.

As soon as Plissken appeared the bullets started once again ricocheting off of everything around him. He was almost there when a rogue bullet caught his hip. The pain was unbearable as Snake stumbled into the wall. No man could contain the cry from a large caliber bullet biting into his flesh, not even Plissken. He dropped one of his revolvers as the pain shot into his body like burning fire. Snake's head connected with the wrought iron and he clung to it to stay on his feet.

Snake turned gun ready to face the crazy with the gun. Only twenty feet separated them and Snake felt cornered. His eye watched the man trying to deduce what he should do; shoot or run. Someone else made the decision. A clear bang of another revolver pierced the quiet streets. Snake pressed back behind the lip of the granite pillar. There were too many guns but the crazy lay dead. Whomever shot him was a crack, a sniper someone with training. The hole was right in the temple, a hard shot even for a good gunslinger.

A breath passed as Snake listened but everything was drowned by his frantic pulse. He still didn't hear anything on the streets. Plissken grabbed his revolver from the ground and made his way toward the crazy but his eye was locked on the end of the street the shot had come from. His eye was searching for the killer but he couldn't see anything in the dim light of the setting sun. Plissken came to a stop over the crazy and he took his gun slinging it over his shoulder.

Light caught Plissken's eye from the doorway where he had stood a few moments earlier. It was a match in someone's hand and though he couldn't see any features he knew that person was watching him. It made his skin crawl. Quickly, his eye took in the streets before he started hobbling toward the doorway. Curiosity and fear played havoc in Snake's mind as he approached the man now puffing on a smoke in the dark. He wore black cowboy boots and black pants but Snake still couldn't make out the upper half outside of the cigarette's dancing cherry and the smoke trailing into the light.

Suddenly the man shifted and Snake froze in his tracks. The cigarette came out sailing and bouncing across the street. Plissken wasn't sure if he should be readying for a draw from the dark but the silver shine on his belt said that the revolver remained holstered. Snake cocked his head and took another step trying to get any features on the figure.

"Did you come to shoot me Snake?"

Snake's eye went wide but he kept moving unable to believe who he'd just heard, who had just shot the crazy and saved his life. Another match struck on the wall and came up to the face; the glow was cupped behind his hands. Smoke trailed out and when the face turned up once again the light from the match was all he needed to confirm the voice. It was Hauk.