Chapter 15 - Sirens
"Hey, you got car here?" said Natasha, wondering around outside the house, kicking the gravel about.
"I got a bike. Does that help?"
"Guns?" asked Natasha again.
"Just nines, our storage got hit recently"
"Come on," said Natasha fluttering her eyelids, "Grab the bike. We'll go meet a friend of mine. Borgaman's given me a list of stuff to collect…"
x
Luca sat on the back of the bike nervously as the woman sped around the street of Liberty. She'd insisted she'd drive and had twisted Luca's arm to persuade him. He was tempted to hold on to her waist but couldn't imagine the pain she'd have caused if he had. Still, he couldn't help but stare at the woman's fine behind as she shifted her position on the bike.
"Down boy" she shouted at him. Luca blushed.
"Where are we going?" he shouted, the speed of the vehicle making it hard to talk.
"Downtown, under the bridge. You ever met Joey Gillespie?"
"No"
"You're in for an experience then" she said, twisting the throttle further. She powered the bike down the streets, weaving around cars and vans as they headed towards the Callahan Bridge. Luca looked up in awe as the bridge came into view. Even though he had lived everyday in the city, he still marvelled at the bridge. He remembered back a few years ago when he'd just get wasted with his friends under it, joking about between the concrete pillars supporting the great slab of tarmac up above. That was until his friends had overdosed.
"We're here" said Natasha as she threw the bike into a parking space. Luca jumped off, glancing around. He could see the boarded up shop across the way, hidden in the darkness.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but that place looks like it's been fucked over" said Luca, facing Natasha. He looked up, the sound of shouting echoing under the bridge.
"GET OUT OF MY STORE!" shouted the voice as Natasha headed over.
Luca watched as a man ran from the shop, tripping over himself to escape. Natasha calmly strode up to the man and in one fluid motion, had sent the man tumbling to the floor. She towered over him as a man ran up to her.
"YOU'ED BETTER FUCKING RUN…" Shouted the man, shotgun raised "oh, its you"
"Joey" said Natasha smiling briefly, "who's the chump?"
"Just some cocky little shit with the nerve to question my merchandise" he said, the man cowering on the floor.
"What's up man" said Luca, walking up with his hand outstretched. Joey swung round, aiming the shotgun at Luca's chest.
"Yo back off before I blow your fucking teeth out!" he screamed, shaking the shotgun.
"Joey, Joey," said Natasha, grabbing the nozzle of the gun, taking it off the maniac. "He's with me. Let me have the gun and we'll go inside. I need a fix."
"Yeah, right. Come on then and bring your cock loving friend with you"
"What the fuck man…" started Luca, Natasha jabbing him in the ribs.
"Leave it" she said sternly. "Eh, little man," she said, looking at the cowardly figure trying to get up, "Don't come round here no more."
"Yes ma'am" he said quickly, before feeling the butt of the gun drive into his stomach.
"Come on" she said, nodding to Luca. They headed across the lot, the sound of choking and moaning in the background.
The shop was rundown, dark and smelt of fish. The door was hanging off its hinges and the windows were all boarded up, metal bars securing them from intruders.
"I am not liking the new premises Joey" Natasha said.
"A man has to move up in the world, I couldn't deal out of the back of that Manana forever" he replied, ruffling his hair. It was brown and very messy. Much like the rest of his appearance thought Luca. The man wore a crude suit, the black material faded and covered in stains. The man was very thin and his fragile stature gave away a horrendous shake he had in his hands. The man couldn't have looked intimidating if he tried. Unless of course, he was brandishing a shotgun.
"So, what can I do you for?" he said, sitting down on a steel box behind a plank of wood, suspended between two barrels.
"I'm assuming your merchandise hasn't suffered the same way in which presentation has" said Natasha, admiring the makeshift desk..
"Listen wench, my gear is better than any you'll find in Liberty. And anyway, this situations temporary. I got new furniture and stands and shit coming in next week."
"What about the loan we gave you?" she questioned.
"The loan? Well, um, some of it has gone on the shop. I, um, bought a new car too."
"Really," said Natasha, not surprised in the least. "We'll be taking it."
"No, you can't take my stuff bitch!" he shouted, reaching for the shotgun under the desk.
"Joey?"
"What?" he said, fumbling around, trying to find the metal gun.
Natasha raised her arm, holding the shotgun up.
"I've got the gun, remember?"
Joey sighed.
"Fine, take the fucking car"
"Good, here's a list of stuff we want. Load it in the car."
Natasha handed him the small piece of paper, Joey taking it nervously. He unfolded it, his eyes widening.
"There's enough firepower here to fucking invade Mexico! How do you expect me to give you this?!"
"Do it and do it now" she said sternly, her hand fingering the shotgun.
"You," said Joey, pointing to the quiet Luca, "Give me a hand…"
x
"Why have we got so much stuff?" asked Luca as they pulled up on the pavement, across the street from Rafa's destination. Haze's Den was in a far flung corner of the red light district, essentially a converted motel. The building itself was incredibly grotty, fitting considering the putrid acts that had been performed on the structures' four floors. It was dwarfed against the backdrop of Liberty, the building being overshadowed by strip clubs and crack dens. Liberty was truly a city of sinful delights.
"It's not just for this mission. Borgaman gave me the list for the final showdown. We're in it to the end. Better to be prepared" she said, staring at the window. She checked her watch, rubbing her hand nervously. It was ten to twelve and Rafa hadn't been seen yet. She hoped he hadn't contacted Conway.
"There" Luca said, seeing the man in the wing mirror. As a person, Rafa looked especially non-descript, he had flat hair, dark skin and an average build. He could have been anyone or anything. He didn't however, look like a policeman. He looked like he should have been behind a till in some horrid Binco store.
Rafa crossed the road and walked up to the front door of the den. He fiddled with his clothing for a second, brushing his hair back with his hand and went in.
"Bitch is armed" said Natasha, getting out of the Patriot. She went around to the trunk, and clicking it open, moved the sheets across, pulling out a heavy metal box.
"You want a hand with that?" said Luca, offering his hand. Natasha grabbed the hand and twisted his arm round. She moved in close behind him.
"Ask me again, go on" she whispered.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry… just let go of my freaking arm!" he shouted. She looked down at his arm, relaxing her grip. They were covered in tiny holes and burns. There was scar tissue on his biceps and raw skin on his forearms. They were all but destroyed.
"I'm…I'm sorry" said Natasha, genuinely apologetic.
"Don't worry," he said, "Old war wounds, I was in the army" he lied.
"So you're going to lie to me about it? Fucking junkies" she said, returning to the metal box. Luca flipped, grabbing hold of the girl by the neck and pulling her away. Using the back of his hand, he swung out, knocking Natasha across the face. She tumbled backwards, tripping over the pavement.
"You think it was easy huh?" Luca screamed at her, "I have these scars that remind me everyday of how my friends died, and all you can do is stereotype me!"
Natasha wiped her face and got off the floor. She looked Luca in the eye, staring at him. He tried to avoid her gaze, tried to turn away but he found he couldn't. He just kept looking into her green eyes.
"Come on" she said, turning away. "We need to catch this pig"
"Yeah, of course…" said Luca, his body shaking.
Natasha turned her back on him, fiddling with the box, a tear falling down her red cheek. She primed the SMG and turned back to Luca, handing him the weapon.
"I'm sorry I hit you" he said sheepishly.
"We'll talk about it later" she said, grabbing the machinegun.
"You got the ties?" he asked. Natasha produced the black plastic ties, before putting them in a pouch in her belt. She slammed the trunk shut and crossed the road, jogging over. Luca chased after her.
Natasha burst into the motel, holding the SMG outstretched in front of her. A girl was standing in a booth to the side of a curtain, clearly unimpressed by the sight of a gun.
"Where did the dark man go?" Natasha demanded, Luca following her in.
"Third floor with Jenna" the girl said sloppily, as if she really didn't care.
Natasha charged forward, bursting through the curtain.
Luca winked at the girl as he followed.
"Hey Lorraine"
"Alright Luca" she said as he disappeared.
Natasha burst through the lounge area, a few hookers relaxing out on the sofas until their next bout of service. Luca strolled on through, amused by the rush. He grabbed Natasha's arm when they reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Gently" he said.
"But he might leave, we need to get him fast" she pleaded.
"If we burst through the entire place, we're going to alert him. Come on, follow me."
Luca led her away from the main staircase and followed the corridor down. Opening a door, the pair came outside, a fire escape lining the wall.
"This runs up the side of the house, we should be able to reach the third floor this way" he said, slinging his gun around his shoulder and pulling himself up.
"You seem to know a lot about this place?" joked Natasha, following his lead.
"Used to do random jobs for the owner" he replied, climbing the many steps.
"Oh yeah?" said Natasha, accidentally looking through one of the windows. "That CANT be possible" she exclaimed, staring at the mesmerizing movements in the room.
"Um, what happened to the rush?" said Luca, smiling back at her.
"I know… but…" she said, shaking her head, "Come on, let's go"
"You sound disappointed" he teased.
"Fuck off and get up those steps. How far?"
"A floor" he replied, heaving himself up.
Eventually the pair reached the gangway and prised open the firedoor.
"You look flushed" said Luca, removing his SMG.
"Shh" she whispered, "which room would he be in?"
"The one down the corridor, last door on the left" he said confidently.
Natasha raised her eyebrows, and fingering the trigger, strafed down the corridor. Luca followed behind.
"This one" he motioned, spinning around to the other side of the door.
Natasha put her ear up close to the door checking for signs of occupancy. She could hear a light moaning sound and deep, sparse grunts.
"On three…" said Luca as Natasha barged through the door. Luca rolled his eyes and followed, raising the SMG high.
"Freeze" shouted Natasha as the hooker screamed, kicking the officer as she leapt off the bed, running into the bathroom. The dark skinned officer had been on top of her, but the girl had moved so fast he hadn't had time to register what had just happened.
"Motherfuckers" he said as he felt the cold gun barrel press against his temple.
"Get up" ordered Natasha, "And put some clothes on"
Luca headed into the bathroom, the girl was cowering in the corner; she'd pulled a bathrobe off the hook, covering up her bare body. Luca stepped in and the girl began to sob.
"Please… don't attack me!"
"I'm not going to hurt you…" he said.
"Luca! Get here!" shouted Natasha.
"Don't take him! I won't get paid and then she'll beat me!" the girl pleaded.
Luca smiled sheepishly at the girl and span around, re-entering the room.
"Fucking De Fidio…" cursed Rafa, as the plastic ties went around his wrists, "should've known you'd try something."
Luca kept silent, the SMG steady in his hands. He watched Natasha tie the bonds and push him about for effect. Luca couldn't help but admire her figure as she did it. The fight they'd had crept back into his mind. Junkie? Was he going to be branded this way forever?
In a split second, he suddenly found himself shunted forward, a huge blow to his back taking him off-guard during the lack of concentration. Natasha span round, the naked girl brandishing the curtain rail from the bathroom. The girl went for Luca again but Natasha was too quick, the spray of automatic fire bursting through the girl's flesh. Blood splattered on the wall.
"Now you've done it" said Rafa defiantly, "There very protective of their girls and even more so when gun shots go off"
"Shit" cursed Natasha; the sound of sirens could be heard in the background.
Natasha pushed Rafa through the door and pulled Luca up; the man had been momentarily stunned by the blow.
"Move" she commanded forcefully.
Natasha pulled the body of Rafa down the stairs, gun primed in case anyone got in the way. Luca followed closely, guilty because he hadn't helped that girl.
"You should have just stayed inside" he mocked as they hurtled down the stairs.
Natasha yanked him harder as they reached the first floor. A gaggle of hookers looked on as they watched the dark man being dragged by the fiery lady. Luca nodded at the girls.
"Be careful Luca" one of them called. Luca turned and winked, the girls giggling amongst themselves.
Natasha pulled the man outside, dragging him down the steps. Rafa tripped over his feet, falling to the floor. Luca appeared in the doorway to watch Natasha kick the man in the gut, Rafa coughing and spluttering in a fit on the floor. The sound of sirens could be heard nearer now; they were approaching the scene fast.
"Move!" shouted Luca, raising the SMG. He caught the first sighting of a police motorcyclist down the street. Natasha dragged Rafa along the floor, opening the back door of the patriot. She pointed her gun at him, his eyes fixating on the nozzle.
"Get in" she said, to the sudden sound of automatic firepower. Luca had shot at the motorcyclist, sending him to the floor.
"NOW!" screamed Natasha, watching the man jump. Rafa scrambled to his feet and threw himself in the patriot. Natasha looked round; two LCPD enforcers were in the distance, approaching fast. Their blue sirens like flares against the drab surroundings of Liberty City's red light district.
"Luca!" called Natasha, jumping into the driver's seat. Luca had crouched down behind the steps, covering the street. He looked over and sprinted across. The enforcers raced in front of the Patriot, sliding into a position that blocked the road.
"Shit" cursed Luca, getting into the car. Natasha hit reverse, spinning the car around to face the other way. She hit the gas, a third enforcer breezing past the body of the Patriot, crashing into a wall, the car reduced to a smouldering wreck.
"Desperate bastards, they're trying to ram us off the road" said Natasha, flooring the accelerator. She burst down the first street, swinging the car to the left as a motorcyclist approached. The car whizzed past, the motorcyclist scrapping alongside the body work. Dropping a gear, the Patriot accelerated, its engine sounding like raging thunder.
"Roadblock!" shouted Luca, spying the motorcade blocking the two-lane dual carriageway. Grabbing the handbrake, the Patriot span, the police officers jumping back in their vehicles as the Patriot accelerated away from them.
"We need someplace to hide" said Natasha, eyeing the chasing enforcers in her rear-view mirror. She counted three cars chasing her, but could see several more in her peripheral vision.
"There taking the fucking side-streets" said Luca. He could see several more enforcers in the gaps between the buildings; they were running parallel to them on the streets to the left.
"More of them!" he called as two police cars crashed through an opening, smashing into the tail of the patriot. The cars rear end flew out from the impact, Natasha spinning the wheel the other way, trying to regain control of the car. The car came to a halt, facing a brick wall. Within moments, a series of enforcers had them blocked in, giving the target vehicle a wide birth. A few of the enforcers stopped closer, the officers getting out of their cars and drawing their pistols. They crouched down, opening the car doors to use as cover.
"Come out!" ordered one of the officers.
Natasha breathed heavily, her mind racing as to what to do next. She suddenly felt a vibration in her pocket, her radio letting her know someone was trying to get in contact. She snatched it from her belt.
"Keep an eye on them" she said to Luca, clicking the button on the radio.
"Yes?"
"…Natasha?" crackled a voice.
"Kraze? Kraze, we need help. We've got the mark but the LCPD have us cornered" she pleaded.
"We got you covered… try and head for Dray's" the voice said.
"You've got us covered…?" she questioned.
"Natasha!" interrupted Luca. Natasha span around, watching a speeding van charge the enforcers. Without hesitation, she hit reverse, the van ploughing into the ring of enforcers, knocking several of the zebra cars backwards. The van burst out of the side, speeding down the dual carriageway, taking some of the heat with them. Natasha expertly swung the wheel of the patriot, navigating the scrambling police officers as they tried to repair the ring.
"Nice move" said Luca.
Natasha smiled, checking her mirror. She could still see the enforcers scuttling after her.
"Grab a rifle" she said, fiddling with the roof.
"Oh, I'm down with that" said Luca, scrambling over the back seat. He made sure to stand on Rafa as he did it. Ignoring the man's curses and cries, he grabbed one of the M-16s and stood up on his seat. Natasha released the sun roof so Luca could squeeze the rifle and himself through the narrow gap. The wind instantly hit him, hammering him on the back of the neck.
Luca counted more and more enforcers; it was almost as if the entire LCPD were after them. He took aim with the M-16, firing bursts at the black and white predators.
"Where's Dray's?" he shouted, unleashing another burst of fire from the machinegun.
Natasha swung the car to the left, turning into a new street as more enforcers approached from the other side. She fought for control with the Patriot as the machine's hard suspension knocked every small bump through her spine.
"It's on the outskirts of the city, near the exit to Carcer City" she screamed.
The chase continued down the streets of Liberty, the Patriot holding off the quicker enforcers. Luca had sat back down in his seat, the rifles clip empty. They didn't want to waste any more ammo on them just yet.
"You two messed up big time on this one" said Rafa, struggling to breathe in the back, "You should have given up. I expect your friends are down at the station at the moment, getting booked in"
Luca swung around in his seat and jabbed him in the stomach. Rafa moaned as an enforcer burst out of nowhere, side-swiping the patriot.
"Fuck" cursed Natasha as the Patriot shook under the impact. Miraculously, the car stayed attached to the ground. Natasha watched the enforcer spin about widely in her mirror, bursting into flames and blocking the road. She could see police cars screeching to a stop as they desperately tried to get around the wreck. In a matter of moments, the patriot had been freed.
"Ha" she shouted, quickly turning down another street to put the chasing zebra cars off their trail. She relaxed in her seat, putting her foot to the floor changing streets and direction several times. The sound of sirens falling off in the background…
