Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to the GTA series or any of the cities and characters but I do own my OC characters.
A/N: Yeah, this is Chapter 2 of my GTA IV fanfic. I am doubting that I'll get many reviews but I'll keep writing the story in my spare time as usual because I intend for this story to be long-running. Got plans for this story =) I'm quite a fan of GTA IV, although I don't play that much anymore, so if you wanna play online (Xbox Live) then message me :) Even better if you're a GOW 2 player.
Pride Of The McReary
Chapter 2: Angel At Peace
The church doors soon opened again as Packie, Niko, Gordon and three other men carried Katie's coffin to the front before going back to their seats. While the priest shared kind and genuine words about Katie's life, Darryl's head went cloudy. Some of the priest's words didn't sink in while other words started echoing in his head. While the priest started talking about what an angel Katie was, how she brought happiness into the lives of everyone and even reciting a few passages from the Bible, Darryl clenched his fist and held himself together from crying. All Darryl could think about was how he wanted to get away from this church. How he didn't want to see Katie's gentle and pale body at peace in the coffin anymore. Soon, they all stood up and sung a few hymns, the ones that were Katie's favourites before sitting down again. One by one, members from the McReary family stood up at the podium and gave their emotional speeches. By this point, the funeral seemed like a daze to Darryl. Darryl couldn't focus when they started delivering their funeral speeches. Not when Auntie McReary spoke of Katie's childhood. Not when Derrick spoke of how Katie was pure, a rarity in a city full of impureness. Not when Patrick broke down a few sentences into his speech and had to be escorted back to his seat by Gordon Sargent. Only when Derrick nudged him, did Darryl come back to reality. "Darryl?" whispered Derrick when it was Darryl's turn to speak. The young Irishman stood up to the podium and casted a look below, seeing dozens of eyes looking back at him. Some were in tears as the previous speeches struck their hearts.
Darryl did not prepare a speech but instead, spoke right from his heart and mind. He dug up cherished memories that he shared with Katie and spoke heavily about how Katie will live on in his heart and mind. He spoke of how Katie was one of a pure kind and how Katie was the strongest person he'll ever know. When Darryl began, he stumbled a few times and had to hold back his tears but as he went on, Darryl spoke powerfully. So much so that even though his speech went longer then the others and that his thick Irish accent sometimes made it hard for some to understand, everyone listened. When he finished, he breathed a sigh and sat down, receiving praise from his family. "Katie would've been proud to hear you." Auntie McReary said as she held Darryl's hand.
After a while, people started leaving the church in order to follow the hearse to the burial ground. The hearse left first after Katie's coffin was put at the back, shortly followed by the two Ferocis with Derrick and Auntie McReary in one, Darryl and Packie in the other. Many cars followed suit behind them while others went in different directions to the graveyard. "Shay…" Packie's throat sounded dry. "Thank you." Darryl was staring outside the window, at the rush hour of Algonquin. "What for?" Darryl asked. "For being here, that's what. For being here at a time when me, Ma and Derrick were hit hard." Packie replied after clearing throat. "It's okay. I want to be here, with you and the family. I was sick of being alone in Ireland with my family all gone." Before Darryl could continue, Packie interrupted him. "You've got family here Darryl. And don't you ever fucking forget it." The both of them shared a hug, with Darryl patting him on the pack and Packie embracing his cousin, in a manly kind of way.
As the morning sun became noon, the cars arrived at the cemetery in Steinway, deep in Irish territory. Packie and Derrick made sure Katie was not buried in Colony Island like Francis because he disregarded his family roots and "Didn't deserve to be buried among true Irishmen and women." – Which were Packie's words. This time, Darryl, Packie, Niko and Gordon carried Katie's coffin to her grave, which stood near an old oak tree. From the oak tree, there was a beautiful view of the open shimmering sea as the sunlight hit the water. They carefully lowered the coffin in the plot of land and the priest gave a few words as they buried the coffin. "Goodbye Katie. Heaven is waiting for ya." Packie sighed. Everyone stood in silence for a moment's silence as the wind dispersed a few oak leaves before leaving. "Let's go Shay. We'll take Ma home then I'll take you to the pub. We both need a few drinks." Darryl didn't take his eyes off Katie's tombstone. "I'll catch up in a minute." Packie understood, knowing that he wanted a moment by himself. Soon, Darryl was by himself. Next to Katie's tombstone, surrounded by big bunches of flowers with tearful goodbye messages. "Why did it have to be you, Katie? Not you…You didn't deserve to die so young." Darryl leaned beside her gravestone and released his emotions, finally. Tears were finally able to break through Darryl's barriers as he sobbed. He didn't cry this hard when his father died. Nor did he cry this hard when his own mother died too. "Are you okay?" A gruff voice said behind him. "No…For fuck sake, how can I be?" Darryl stood up and wiped his tears with his suit sleeve before turning around to see Niko. "I….I was with her. When she died…" Niko said as he offered a tissue. "How did she die? Did she die peacefully?" The Serbian nodded. "There was a man and he…he shot her. I don't think she suffered." Suddenly, anger overcame Darryl and the Irishman grabbed Niko. "Who?! Where is this fucking man?! I'll make him suffer! How dare he kill…" Darryl was stricken again with sadness. "Who would kill such an innocent woman…?" Darryl left Niko at the gravestone, to join Packie, Derrick and Auntie McReary. But he left without knowing the full truth. Without knowing Niko's role in Katie's death.
The McReary boys dropped off Auntie McReary at the family home and switched cars to Patrick's Cognoscenti before driving to the Steinway Beer Garden. As soon as they stepped into the Irish pub, Darryl was hit with nostalgia. "Just like the pubs in Ireland, eh Seamus?" Derrick said as they walked in. The pub was adorned in wooden furniture and had Irish decorations to give it that authentic feel. Darryl could tell the McReary family were well-renowned here as there was a portrait of Derrick hung up. As the boys walked in, they were greeted with condolences and commiserations of Katie's death. While Derrick hit the bathroom and Packie talked to a group of Irishmen, Darryl sat alone at the bar. "Lampard shoots, he scores! And Stamford Bridge is going absolutely crazy as they are now 3-0 up against Liverpool! Absolutely cracking game for Chelsea this is." Darryl glanced at the TV, which was showing an English football match on ESPN. Although his favourite team was playing, he was in no mood to celebrate the goal. "Here. You look like you could do with a pint." A pint was placed in front of him. "No thanks, I---" Darryl looked up and was stunned by what he saw. His heart was immediately stolen by this beautiful barmaid in front of him. She was short, seemed to be younger then Darryl, had a slim figure and wore an Irish barmaid costume which complimented her figure. Her hair was a light chocolate brown which was just past shoulder length. Her eyes were like a pair of light green emeralds, lighter then Darryl's. Her delicate lips were a pink cherry colour. Aside from the lipstick and small amount of blusher and mascara, her beautiful features were natural. She looked like the kind of girl whom 'beautiful' wouldn't even begin to describe. "I……" Darryl seemed speechless, which made the barmaid giggle a bit. "I heard about Kate. She was a really good friend of mine, a good person." The barmaid put her hand on Darryl's, giving her condolences. Unlike most of the people here, she had an American accent as opposed to an Irish one. "Thank you. I'm Darryl, Katie's cousin." Darryl smiled genuinely, the first time he did so today. "Nice to meet you Darryl. I'm Jasmine." She smiled back and both of them shared a look before Jasmine had to break away. "I-I have to go serve someone else. Maybe I'll see you again sometime?" The barmaid smiled before leaving Darryl to his pint. Just as Darryl was about to enjoy a fine glass of beer pulled by an angel before Packie interrupted his pint. "Shay, we gotta go." Packie pulled away his phone. "At least let me finish my pint. You brought me here for a drink after all." Darryl was still looking at Jasmine, whom was aware but tried to hide it. "I'll explain on the way. Get in the car and wait while I get Derrick." Packie gave the keys to Darryl before stepping into the bathroom. Quickly drinking some of his pint, Darryl left the pub but exchanged smiles with Jasmine before leaving. He entered the car and started the engine. Darryl idly tapped the steering wheel before turning on the radio.
It didn't take long until Packie came into the car but he came without Derrick, surprisingly. "Where's Derrick?" Darryl couldn't help but ask. "That fucking smackhead decided it was a good idea to get dosed up on heroin just after his little sister's funeral. Didn't he say he ain't got no cash? He better not have stolen no cash from us…" Packie was fuming. "We can't just leave him in the bathroom Packie." Darryl pointed out. "It doesn't matter; Gordon will take care of the bastard, just drive Shay." The car started driving but Darryl didn't yet know where they were going. "Ol'Derrick would slow us down if he came anyway…But look. The reason why I dragged you away from your lass –Yes I saw you two lovebirds- is because, starting today, we McReary boys are gonna put ourselves back on the map." Packie leaned in to set the sat-nav. "I got a phone call from an associate of mine and he's got a job for us." Darryl seemed weary of this. "I thought you told me that you were sick and tired of whoring yourself to guido mafias?" Packie shook his head. "Nah nah nah, he's not Italian. My associate told me about a drug deal that's going down tonight. Seems like the Triads and one of the wop families are dealing in cocaine." Darryl seemed weary of this, again. "I thought I told you to lay off the fucking chop?" Again, Packie shook his head as he ignored Darryl's sarcastic tone. "We're not hijacking the cocaine for me, you idiot. It's simple, we wait until the deal goes down, then we kill both of them and take the cocaine and the money. We keep a cut of the money and another cut of the money when my associate sells the cocaine. You got it? You enjoy a good ruck, right Shay? Of course you do." Darryl sighed and nodded. "So where are we off to then, Packie?" Darryl started following the directions on the sat-nav. "First, we need some ammunition and some firepower. Of course, we can't turn up to a fire-fight with water pistols now can we? Then, we gotta find out the location of said drug deal. Which means you, gotta go to a club. And it's gay night." Darryl almost stopped the car. "W-what?! Did I just hear you say I gotta go into a gay night? What are you saying Packie, what the fuck are you saying?" Luckily, Packie wasn't making any jibes about his sexuality. "Goddamn it Shay, calm down. There's an informant who knows about the drug deal and I know that he hangs around in Maisonette 9. But he knows who I am and will run out the back door if he sees me coming for him. I ain't saying you gotta have sex with him, just do whatever to make him talk. If it helps, just think about the cash we'll get. If that doesn't help then think about the McReary family returning to the top. And if that doesn't help then you think about Jasmine." The car sped up to the gun shop.
After purchasing a couple of guns from the local backdoor gun shop, they went home to get changed and kill off a few hours before heading to Maisonette 9, at 9pm. Packie changed into his normal attire of jeans and a green shirt while Darryl changed into a flashier grey suit with a purple sweater vest and purple tie. "Damn Shay, you look like you've been shopping at Savile Row." The two of them set off to Maisonette 9 in Algonquin, where they went through tactics. Packie parked the car a few blocks away from the club. "Here, that's the informant. His name is Sebastian Vandervelde" Packie gave him a Polaroid of a scrawny blonde Caucasian man dressed rather eccentrically. "I'll be here if you get in a ruck." Packie couldn't help but laugh, prompting Darryl to giving him the middle finger before walking off. After waiting in line, he approached a dark-skinned doorman, who searched him for any weapons before letting him in. Darryl walked down the stairs and into a mob of raving clubbers. "Shit, how am I gonna find this guy?" Darryl looked around but couldn't see much beyond the ravers. He headed for the bar nearby, being greeted with the "Hello sailor!" by a few people on the way. "Excuse me; I'm looking for a guy called Sebastian Vandervelde. He's an old college buddy of mine." Darryl was about to show the bartender the photo but it seemed like he knew the name. "He's with Mr. Prince and Mr. Amir in the VIP room. Should I let him know you're here?" Darryl declined. "I'll surprise him." He walked away in search of the VIP room.
Making his way past the mobs of ravers, he could see one of the VIP rooms. Through the glass doors, he could see Sebastian. Two bodyguards were guarding the door, much to Darryl's annoyance. He decided to wait by the men's bathroom and did so for five minutes until he could see his target walk out of the VIP room to his direction. Darryl went into the men's room and pretended he was using the hand dryer until Sebastian walked in. They both exchanged glances before Darryl started his plan. "So, you're Sebastian Vandervelde?" The blonde man dressed in eccentric colours turned around. "Why, yes I am baby. Who wants to know?" Sebastian winked at him, making Darryl want to roll his eyes. "I er…saw your picture online and I must say, you look stunning in person." Darryl winked back, much to Sebastian's pleasure. "Where have you been all my life?" Darryl could tell this was going to be easy so he put his arm around and decided to deliver the line to get him out of the club. "What do you say we skip the drinks and go right to my place?" He barely finished his line before Sebastian dragged him out of the bathroom and out of the club. Packie was laughing to himself at the sight from his car. "I didn't think you had it in ya Shay." As the two of them walked past Packie's car, Darryl secretly winked at Packie, prompting him to get out of the car and follow the two from a distance. As soon as the two were about to walk past an alley, Darryl threw Sebastian into the alley and grabbed him against the wall while Packie joined Darryl. "What is this?! What's going on?! I don't owe anyone any mo--" He stopped when he saw Packie. "You McReary boys are nothing but trouble! Just take my money and leave!" Darryl shook his head. "It's not your money we're after. We want the location of the cocaine deal going down tonight." Much to their annoyance, Sebastian decided to play innocent. "I don't know what you're talking about!" This prompted Darryl to punch him hard across the face. "Don't give us that bullshit. There's a deal going down between the Triads and one of the Five Families and we know that you know." When Sebastian shook his head, Darryl and Packie started beating him up until he finally squealed. "Stop, stop! I'll talk." Darryl helped a bruised and bloody Sebastian get up before holding him up against a wall to make sure he didn't run. "The deal….it's going d-down at Charge Island...Where the baseball field is…" Sebastian paused to cough out some blood. "At midnight…You didn't have to hit me that hard...I bruise easy…" At that point, Packie started to leave but Darryl took Sebastian's phone out from his jacket pocket and crushed it. "Just to make sure you don't go telling anyone about our little meeting." Darryl then left him to join Packie in the car. "Charge Island it is." They drove off in direction of Charge Island at full speed. "Alright, here's the plan Shay. We wait until the families arrive then I'll watch your back, sniper-style, while you slaughter everyone. Both of us will hijack the vehicle carrying the cocaine and the cash. We deliver the stuff and done, we get some hard-earned cash. Simple?" Darryl couldn't help but make a comment. "Life is never that simple, Patrick."
A/N: Please give me a review. It'd be nice to hear what you readers think of my story =] Chapter 3 coming soon.