Author's Note: Before I get down to business on this chapter I wanted to deliver a few shout outs…
SlayerDarth: I know I typically list the parodies I include in my ending author notes and one got past me; yes 'Playhouse' is intended to be a spoof of 'Playboy.' Yes the Bellowfield district is where Artie saved Dixie from the bikers in the original story as well. I'm also glad you liked the 'Patriot Man' spoof. Captain America has always been one of my all-time favorite comic book characters. Call me idealistic if you will, but he seems to represent a small piece of America untouched by a lot of the corruption and partisan bickering that happens in my country today, so I guess that's one reason I've always related to him. Out of all the movies in the upcoming "Avengers" arc, I think his movie was my favorite.
I know I've been slow with it, but I definitely gotta get around to reading and reviewing the rest of 'Winona City,' especially seeing how I was nice enough to let you borrow one of my parody references recently.
Native Gunz: I agree with you wholeheartedly Lil' Wayne is a fucking douchebag, but then again all materialistic assholes are douchebags to me. I had that scene specifically for the sake of making fun of him and wanting to have it where some badass band got one over him, in this case Black Sabbath. Yes "Epic" by Faith No More is a song I actually liked by the way.
I would say the Redcoats are largely inspired by Los Carnales and the Brotherhood from the "Saints Row" games. Since the original story was set in a city that was supposed to be inspired by Washington D.C., I felt the gang being called the Redcoats would provide some sort of good historical basis for them being villains seeing as how that's what the British soldiers were called during the Revolutionary War. I'm not a big fan of drastic changes for doing rewrites, so I decided to keep the Redcoat name for them.
The scene with that one bum using dialogue in the last chapter was inspired by the Feral Ghoul attacks from the "Fallout" games and his appearance was supposed to be inspired by a Feral Ghoul as well. To those hobos Artie and Randy probably would have looked like 'rich boys,' especially Artie with his nicer clothes.
Afro Spirit: I too feel that it's a crock of horse shit when people call this country a 'Christian nation' especially when many of the Founding Fathers were Deists, which would probably be today's equivalent of a Secular Humanist, and I see how a lot of things were indeed ripped off from the ancient Pagan religions, especially when you see the similarities between Santa Claus and Odin, the "all father" in the ancient Norse religions. Personally I look at this country as a melting pot of many different faiths and to call us a 'Christian nation' flat out is just very arrogant and asinine.
I think it's funny how a lot of people on the far Religious Right try to bring back the McCarthy-ist "Red Scare" with socialists and all that other paranoid, fear mongering demagoguery bullshit they spew when I personally am more scared of those Dominionist assholes that would very likely turn this country into some kind of backwards Christian theocracy if given the chance.
I have seen clips of "The Big Bang Theory," but I have yet to actually watch an episode in its entirety.
I totally share your grievances with them incorporating zombies and brutes into the SR games too, I think it really took away from the realism and made it a little too 'far out there' for me and I thought it was also too out there for the Deckers to have those bitches on the roller skates like that, I mean come the fuck on! It still had its things in it that I liked though, especially with a lot of the cut scenes in between missions, so it was still an enjoyable experience for me in plenty of other instances as well.
Chapter 14: Close Encounters of the Hostile Kind
Artie exhaled deeply as he stepped out of the shower, reaching over for a towel to dry himself off.
"Fucking bums," he muttered to himself, still feeling filthy after having been in there for over an hour and a half. Perhaps it could have been more of a 'psychological' kind of filth he felt.
It hadn't been long since he had gotten home from running his errand for Monica and he had felt so beaten up afterward. The shower was to be his immediate destination as soon as he entered the apartment.
"Christ, that was like being around a hundred Freda's," he muttered to himself wrapping the towel around his waist and was about to step out when he heard a loud click that left him reaching for the Glock resting on the back of the toilet. Instinctively he leapt out into the small kitchen area with his gun pointed towards the entrance.
"Hey man, don't shoot! I live here too y'know!" Gino Cappelli squeaked throwing his hands into the air to show he was unarmed. The stout man was covered from head to toe in sweat and there was a dark spot in the crotch of his gray trousers.
"Damn it Gino, be more careful next time," Artie snapped, "Next time warn me when you're on the way up."
"Hey, I was living here before you!" the shorter man spat, "Just because those bastard Redcoats wanna run me out of my own bar doesn't mean I'm gonna let my cousin run me outta my own apartment! Besides, you really need to let up on that whole itchy trigger finger bit, that's getting old already…"
"Of course I'm gonna have an itchy trigger finger after what happened here two days ago," Artie retorted, "which was greatly in part due to your own 'Cappelli pride' getting you in trouble plenty of times before!"
"God, will you shut the fuck up about that already?" the older cousin spat walking over to the refrigerator and reaching in for the carton of milk, taking a long chug straight from the container and making his relative shudder in disgust. "Look, all I wanna do is relax after what just happened."
"What happened now?" Artie demanded, again taking notice of the dark spot over his cousin's crotch.
Gino sighed heavily and collapsed into the folding chair at the small card table that served as the apartment's 'kitchen table.'
"That bastard Sneed called here again, threatening to up the percentage after all the havoc those damned Redcoats raised," the elder Cappelli groaned burying his face in his hands, "I tell ya' Cuz it's only a matter of time before the other shoe falls and I'm saying goodbye to this cruel world."
Artie's blood boiled at the mention of the bastard loan shark, as it always did. Despite having only met the man once he already hated him deeply and just the mention of his name alone never failed to rattle the often cool-headed hitman.
"That fucker," the hired gun muttered to himself as Gino again started rocking himself violently, only catching himself when he nearly fell backwards in his chair. Reaching into his pocket the innkeeper again pulled out his anti-anxiety medication and popped a few pills into his mouth.
"I don't know what the fuck I'm gonna do Cuz," the elder Cappelli groaned, "I swear every time I step outside I'm thinking some bastard's gonna be on hand to shoot me dead. Sometimes I even wonder if this place is safe enough for me. It's only a matter of time before somebody comes to get me and if not that, maybe there'll be some huge earthquake…or a fucking tsunami! No, maybe a plague of locusts or zombies attack!" Gino rambled on until Artie again interrupted him.
"Pull yourself together!" the younger cousin shouted forcefully grabbing Gino by the shoulder, "Just take a few deep breaths and try to focus, or whatever your therapist tells you to do. You have to calm down," Artie said before looking around the apartment, "You must be getting stir crazy or something. It's been a while since you've been outside these walls."
"Well where else am I supposed to go?" Gino asked looking up to him in bewilderment, "I can't think of many other places around here where there won't be somebody trying to kill me or traumatize me in some other kind of horrific way!"
Artie sighed deeply before looking down to his cousin, "There can't be that many people out to get you, perhaps that's just the anxiety getting to you again," he said before taking the extra seat next to his cousin, "I'll tell you what, I'll treat you to a night on the town, a chance for you to get outside the apartment and do something. I imagine it's probably been a while since you've been out and about."
"You're right, it has," Gino muttered looking away in shame.
"Are there any places around here you've been wanting to visit? Anything at all you can think of that's at least halfway fun?" Artie inquired.
Gino calmed himself long enough to think before snapping his fingers, "The Alhambra!"
"What?" Artie asked looking towards him quizzically.
"The Alhambra, it's a cabaret club over in Gomorrah," Gino responded, "I've never been there myself, but I've heard from some customers saying it's quite a place to be. It's got Las Venturas-style showgirls, all you can eat buffet, high quality entertainment…they even have attendants in their bathrooms!"
"Fine, it's your call. We'll check out this Alhambra place the," Artie said rising to his feet, "Get yourself cleaned up and we'll be on our way. I don't think you'll be getting any pussy if you look like you just pissed yourself," the younger cousin remarked making his way over to his wardrobe.
Grabbing himself a fresh pair of boxers and some socks, he also grabbed a pair of stonewashed jeans, a royal blue polo shirt with the 'Zip' emblem on the breast pocket and then completed his outfit with a nice pair of blue hi-tops recently purchased from SubUrban. For additional sex appeal, he threw in a brand new digital watch and a gold chain. Even if he was just going out with his cousin he still wanted to look nice in case he were to encounter any attractive ladies tonight.
"As long as they don't find out I was surrounded by a bunch of hobos earlier in the day," Artie thought to himself as Gino emerged from his bedroom in a gray jacket, black vest and white dress shirt underneath along with a pair of matching gray slacks and some black wingtips that may have come from Perseus. Granted his clothes were wrinkled from having spent a long period of time in his closet, but at least he looked more presentable than he normally did, truly an improvement for the cowardly, reticent innkeeper.
"Guess we shall be on our way then," the elder Cappelli spoke.
"Sure thing," Artie said leading the way downstairs to the waiting Sentinel, the alley thankfully left quiet as he pushed a button on his keychain to unlock the doors. They climbed inside and he started up the car, which had been left on the Peace FM ambient/chill out station.
"Ooh, this is good music," Gino remarked favorably as Artie slowly pulled the car out of the alley and proceeded towards their destination.
"If you're looking for something to fall asleep to," Artie thought pulling to a stop sign, "I just hope I don't end up passing out behind the wheel."
"So, how have things been going for you lately?" Gino asked attempting to build conversation, "You're obviously the one who's getting out and about…so do you think this fair city's been to your liking so far?" he asked with a nervous laugh.
"Well I did kill a bothersome drunk, escort a bipolar drug dealing granny, and saved a business all for you…so I do find that to be somewhat questionable by my standards," Artie replied driving past some crackheads before passing Aunt Gracie's Corner Diner.
"Well, I was trying to look out for you…or at least get you a few extra dollars along the way," Gino sheepishly spoke.
"Well I really don't know," Artie replied as they approached the Eastwood Bridge, "I still don't know what's gonna be up for me once the blockade is lifted."
"Aw c'mon Cuz, your stay hasn't been that bad has it?" the elder cousin laughed; only to quiet down upon seeing Artie's serious stare.
"I've already had a bunch of people pulling me in different directions and I was hoping to escape that drama once I got out of Liberty. All I want is to live in peace for once in my lifetime," the hired gun replied.
"And you can't find that here?" Gino asked, almost sounding nervous as to what his reply would be.
"You really think being hassled by loan sharks is considered peaceful?" Artie asked only to stop when he realized what he had just said. "Real smooth Artie. You wanted to take your cousin out to help him forget about that bullshit and now you might've just reopened the poor guy's wounds. Better be ready for the whining that's about to follow."
Surprisingly Gino was quiet, staring quietly at the river outside as they came to Washington Dell. As it had been before, the scenery changed dramatically as they exited the industrial shithole of Lincoln, almost like they had driven through a portal into an alternate universe. The druggies and hookers were gone, replaced by the well-dressed couples out for their own night on the town.
"Man, I feel so jealous coming here sometimes," Gino remarked looking out the window at some nicely-dressed people getting out of their fancy cars and walking up to the Four Presidents nightclub.
"Well you could be out of that shithole you're in right now if you weren't gambling every dollar you make away faster than the crackheads wanting their fix," Artie replied.
"Hey!" Gino snapped back, "Just remember I let you live in that 'shithole' too! You oughta' be one to talk pretty boy."
"Well I'm just saying. If you didn't have such a big gambling problem you wouldn't have half the problems you do now," Artie bluntly replied as they got closer to Gomorrah.
Gino's face contorted into an angry scowl and turned a bright shade of red, if it were humanly possible he would have been shooting steam out of his ears right now. His knuckles turned a bright white in contrast to the red on his face and he wanted to punch Artie as hard as he could right now, yet he found himself unable to and sat in silence until they pulled up to their destination.
The building reminded him of a Medieval Spanish castle with 'The Alhambra' above the entrance in bold orange letters. In further accordance with the feudal theme, the club was surrounded by a moat with a bridge lined with large granite statues of knights on each side. Strangely though, they could hear Dean Martin's "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" piping out from an unseen speaker, totally out of place in regards to the intended 'Dark Ages' theme.
The cousins made their way inside and found themselves in a spacious hall that served as a dining area, bar and open space all rolled into one, the latter of which he assumed was probably used as a dance floor. In some senses it almost reminded him of the Perestroika cabaret club he visited a few times when he lived in Liberty City.
At the front of the room was a stage, where at the moment a man in a jester costume was juggling both flaming torches and miniature chainsaws simultaneously in an amazing show of grace and dexterity.
"Over there, there's an open spot!" Gino whispered, pointing towards a small circular table and squeezing his way between some crowded tables and earning a filthy glare from a woman whom he brushed his gut against trying to get to the seat.
They sat down and watched as the juggler wowed the audience, all of whom sat in stunned silence and waited until he caught all items and bowed to them before giving their applause.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Flick Flack!" an announcer called out just as the curtain lowered.
"Okay, and is there anything I may get you gentlemen tonight?" a woman's voice called out until there was a soft gasp, "Artie?"
The hitman looked over to see a waitress approaching their table with a tray in hand, her blonde hair worn in an updo. Her nametag identified her as 'Gladys,' but when he saw her face his jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Sunny?" he gasped, "What are you doing here?"
"Please, call me Gladys, I've left that other job behind me," she said noticing he wasn't alone, "and I work here. I just started not too long ago," she said setting some glasses of water down on the table before going over to give him a peck on the cheek.
"It's good to see you again," he smiled before motioning towards Gino, "Su-uh, Gladys this is my cousin Gino. Gino, this is my friend Gladys."
"Ah yes, it is always truly a pleasure to meet a comely young lass such as yourself," the elder cousin said quickly combing over his bald spot before reaching over to kiss the waitress on the hand.
"The pleasure's all mine," she said before returning her attention to Artie, "It's been a while, but I'm happy to see you again. I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm still on the clock. You still do have my phone number, right?"
"I do," Artie nodded, "I'll have to give you a call again soon," he waved before she left to tend to other customers.
"How come you always get the hot pieces of ass knocking on your door and I don't get shit?" Gino grumbled looking towards Artie in disbelief before staring a peek at the ex-hooker's firm buttocks.
Artie offered a harsh stare towards his cousin before replying, "Because I actually get out and do stuff, alright?"
"And now, the main event for tonight…coming to us from some shithole dive in Las Venturas, the Alhambra is proud to present to you, the one…the only…The Great Poonanny!"
The audience clapped as a short man wearing a green turban and glittery gold cape made his way onto the stage flanked by two women, one blonde and one brunette, in Las Venturas-style showgirl outfits.
"Thank you ladies and gentlemen," The Great Poonanny called out as one of his assistants removed his cape to reveal his black tuxedo underneath, "As a master magician, I am constantly asked 'Poonanny, where did you gain your powers? Were you born with them? Did you gain them after being bitten by a radioactive spider? Are they the side effect from a venereal disease you picked up from that prostitute at the truck stop back in Bone County?"
As the magician ranted on and on, one of his assistants pushed a rack towards the center of the stage, while the other approached a case positioned on a table at the right-hand side.
"Furthermore, I get people asking me if I use my powers for good?" the illusionist spoke as the rack was pushed closer to him, "Like making world hunger and illegal aliens disappear? Hell, I've even had people ask if I could make all the liberals disappear?" he spoke, eliciting a few laughs from the crowd before taking his place.
"None of that will be happening tonight dear citizens of Rushmore City, for I am here strictly to entertain you!"
Poonanny then climbed onto the rack and got into position for his blonde-haired assistant to start strapping him down.
"Tonight, I am going to do the one trick that has taken many a life before me, one that only the man who boasts of the biggest balls will undertake…I am going to catch a bullet between my teeth with a high-powered assault rifle!"
On cue, the brunette assistant pulled out a Colt M4A1 assault rifle, causing several in the audience to gasp in terror.
"Oh c'mon, it's a fucking illusion! All that 'smoke and mirrors' bullshit people!" a guy in the crowd shouted, prompting a scowl from the magician.
"Yes people, I am going to catch a bullet between my teeth!" Poonanny repeated as the final strap was secured and the other showgirl took her position at the opposite side of the stage, "Witness my awesome power as I defy every law of physics!"
The showgirl took aim and pulled the trigger, her blast resounding in the enclosed space. Rather than the magician catching the bullet between his teeth, instead the back of his head exploded, spraying his brain matter all over the rack and causing many to shriek in horror.
"The Great Poonanny, ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer called out as the curtain fell to the stage, "For God's sakes, somebody call 911!"
"That was short. I hope they have something more than this," Artie remarked, inviting a worried stare from Gino, "Oh, sorry about that."
"Somehow that schmuck always survives," a person at the next table spoke up, "Don't ask me how, but I heard this guy was once dropped into a pit of corrosive acid and he came back to perform again the next night."
"Jesus Fucking Christ! You'd seriously think this shithole would've had a backup plan at least!" another voice called out, a slimy tone Artie hoped he would never have to hear again and one that left Gino taking cover beneath the table.
Leaning over his table a little, the young man carefully scanned the dimly-lit room, looking over the occupants whose features he could make out.
Eventually, he looked over towards the bar to see a familiar individual in a dark green suit casually reclining against the counter with a drink in hand. He was flanked by two women with their arms around him and two powerfully-built men in black suits. The sight of the man had made Artie's blood begin to boil.
"Sneed…" he half-growled, forced to exercise whatever self-control he had to prevent him from leaping out of his chair and charging across the room to choke the life out of that son of a bitch.
"Seriously, this is worse than when that gypsy midget brought out those dancing poodles!" Johnny spat while stealing a shot off a waitress' tray and gulping it down.
"Oh god, is he looking over here?" Gino whimpered from beneath the table.
"He's not," Artie replied before taking a deep breath, "We'd better get the hell out of here and go do something else. Don't you think so? There should be plenty else we can do around this city," he continued, looking cautiously towards the bar, where the loan shark was in the middle of making lewd comments towards another waitress.
"How about Aunt Gracie's?" Gino suggested while peeking out from beneath the table's skirt, "I could use some of her chili right about now."
Artie nearly shit himself at the thought of encountering the bipolar drug dealing granny and was even less enthusiastic about wanting to try her chili.
"Maybe we could go to that new Oar House over in Harbor," Artie countered, "It's near Misty Blue's if you're in the mood for some pool and cheese curds afterward."
"Good idea, I'll race you to the car," Gino blurted out, making a mad dash out from beneath the table on his hands and knees and knocking over a waiter carrying a tray full of food. "We should get over there before last call!"
"Damn it Gino," Artie muttered in reference to his cousin's hasty movements, which were drawing the ire and suspicious stares of the occupants surrounding them as the portly man scampered towards the short stairwell leading to the higher level and rising to his feet as he made his way towards the lobby, knowing there would be a greater chance of him attracting Johnny's attention.
"I'm terribly sorry," the hitman whispered to the other patrons before pumping up the short flight of stairs to catch up with his cousin.
"That son of a fucking bitch, I'm gonna have to get out of here before I do something stupid and end up getting Gino in even deeper hot water," Artie thought to himself walking through the corridor, trying to look as normal as possible, but failing miserably as he stalked after his fleeing cousin, although he felt a little despondent he would be passing up on the chance to rip Johnny's fucking head off.
"Besides, no doubt those two apes of his would turn me into Swiss Cheese before I could even get within five feet of him," Artie thought while maneuvering around a couple before he was cut off by a familiar voice.
"Artie wait! Where are you going?" Gladys called out.
The hired gun sighed deeply before speaking, "I'm terribly sorry, but something has come up and we need to leave right away."
"Is something wrong?" she asked noticing Gino pushing his way out the double doors and nearly knocking over another woman, "You can tell me."
"Sunny, I mean Gladys, it's a long story and I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to tell you without getting pissed off and wanting to smash the nearest thing I could find," Artie replied in a tone that had come off harsher than intended as he walked outside, finally stopping himself in front of the entrance and taking a few deep breaths, "There's somebody in there who I have a history with, even within the short amount of time I've been here, and it's got Gino spooked really bad," he replied watching as his cousin bolted towards his thankfully still untouched Sentinel, pulling on the door handle in desperation.
"C'mon Artie, hurry up! We gotta get outta here!" he called out in a panic.
"I'm truly sorry Gladys, but I'll have to talk to you some other time," Artie was in the middle of explaining just as the cocky tone of Johnny Sneed called out from behind.
"Why Arthur Cappelli, it's so nice to see you and here at the Alhambra of all places!" the loan shark harshly laughed, causing him to freeze up right on the spot. "Never thought I'd be seeing someone of your stature in such a fine establishment, hell I thought you preferred the smoky low-rent dives compared to the finer qualities of nightlife."
Artie slowly craned his neck to glare hatefully towards the smug loan shark walking towards him, both of the women with their arms still around him and the two bodyguards following close behind.
"Really Artie, how have you been?" Sneed asked in mock interest, "It's been a while since I last saw you around," he spoke before looking past him, "Oh and is that who I think it is? Is that your shit stain of a cousin? Gino Cappelli, how are you? Have you finally learned the concept of paying your debts on time?" he called out to the elder cousin with a mock wave.
"You leave him alone you dickless prick!" Artie snapped, "You shut the fuck up about my family period, you hear? This is between you and me you son of a bitch!"
Johnny laughed harshly at the response, "I can hear you just fine Artie, but I have to take issue with people who can't pay up on time. I do have bills to pay too y'know and I can't get by when others can't get by."
The loan shark then turned his attention to Gladys, looking her up and down, "Why hello there, aren't you a pretty little thing? She's a little too out of your league, don't you think?"
"And what the hell makes you think you're any better, slime bag!" Artie taunted.
"Sorry pal, but you're too low class for my standards," she spat giving him the middle finger, "Don't think some fancy suit and a couple cheap broads make you any higher on the totem pole than what you really are."
Again Johnny laughed, while the women with him both looked like they wanted to tackle Gladys down to the ground and stomp her face in with their stiletto heels, "Oh really? Well that's not what you were saying six months ago…Sunny!"
The comment caught Artie by surprise, causing him to stare angrily at Johnny and then in disbelief towards Gladys, who only looked down to the ground nervously while clasping her hands together.
"Didn't you tell him Sunny?" Johnny asked before turning over to Artie, "That's right Arthur, I fucked her! Not just me, so has everybody else on this rancid shithole of an island! Didn't you know that's the biggest hooker in all of Lincoln you're talking to?"
"That's a lie you cocksucking faggot!" Gladys screamed at Johnny, "Don't listen to him Artie! He'll tell a lie about whatever he can just to get an excuse for his boys to shoot you! He'd do it to his own fucking mother if he could!"
"Now Sunny, I believe you were taught it's not nice to say such things about other peoples' mothers," Johnny said in his typical condescending, lecturing tone, "but then again, your mother was probably too high half the time to teach you right from wrong anyway! That's how it is with all the hood rats around these parts!"
Now it was Gladys' turn to contain her anger, gritting her teeth together to stifle the screams of rage wanting to escape, Artie being the only thing holding her back from trying to claw the slimy bastard's eyes out.
"You're quite the Romeo, aren't you tough guy?" Johnny laughed, "In her case a woman literally would be the death of you!"
"You shut the fuck up about her you fucking piece of shit!" Artie roared, leaping towards Johnny and ready to pound his face in until both of his bodyguards threw themselves in front of their boss with Desert Eagles drawn.
"Just you remember one thing Artie; you can talk all the shit about me all you want, but if you try anything funny, I have plenty of friends in 'higher places' that won't hesitate for one second to track you down and show you what the Komojack River looks like up close and personal…and they'll do it to you in pieces if they have to. That lard ass cousin of yours knows that lesson all too well," Johnny explained as a sleek black Stretch limousine pulled up behind him, "You'd better get hopping on paying up those debts you fat fuck, or else it'll be the both of you I'll be coming after the next time!" he shouted to Gino before climbing into the back of the limo and disappearing from sight.
Artie was beyond enraged and absolutely wanted to kill somebody, grabbing a brick lying on the sidewalk and chucking it through the windshield of a nearby Banshee, causing its alarm to go off.
"That fucking piece of shit!" he growled, until Gladys placed a hand on his shoulder.
"C'mon Artie, don't let that bastard get to you," she whispered into his ear, "Before he interrupted you, I was going to tell you that my friend's car broke down and I need a ride back home. If it's alright with you, you can drop me off at my place. I'll be out in a second, please just wait for me."
"Fine," Artie hissed making his way over to the car and pushing the button to unlock his doors, Gino quickly throwing himself inside.
"Okay, get us outta here!" Gino whimpered as he tried balling up into a fetal position.
"We have to wait for somebody first," Artie replied before exhaling deeply and banging his head against his headrest, squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth until every muscle in his face throbbed.
"That son of a bitch thinks he's on top of the whole fucking world, well one of these days I'm gonna show that stupid fucker he's not as bulletproof as he thinks he is," Artie thought to himself just as a light tap came on his window.
"Okay Artie, I'm ready to go," Gladys called out now wearing a black overcoat with her purse in hand before climbing into his backseat, "Take me over to my place in Horgate."
Without a word, Artie started up the car and switched the station over to some angrier, more aggressive music on 94.3 CSKD, currently playing "Berserker" by After the Burial, as he pulled out into traffic, still fuming to the point of cutting off a taxi.
"Jesus!" Gino jumped as the tires screeched beneath him.
"Artie please, you need to calm down," Gladys pleaded reaching forward to gently rub his shoulder, "If it makes you feel any better, not everything he said about me was true. I haven't slept with every guy around here. I may not have had the most honest job out there, but I still had my standards."
"I hate to say it, but you must not have had very high standards if you were going to fuck some bastard like him," Artie growled, but suddenly caught himself knowing it would likely offend her.
"Artie, that thing with him was a one-time only deal. I just assumed he was another customer and I had another reason for accepting his money, but now that I look back upon it I truly regret saying yes to him…believe me…I do," Gladys replied, sounding slightly hurt by his last comment.
"I'm sorry Gladys, but that son of a bitch is really under my skin and I'm sure you'd feel the same way if he were threatening members of your family," he replied looking over to Gino, who silently rocked himself back and forth.
The former prostitute said nothing the rest of the way back to her apartment and it wasn't long before the Sentinel was pulling up to a white three story building outlined by brown trim.
"Thanks for the ride Artie," she said climbing out and leaning over to speak to him, "I'm sorry if things didn't go as well as you hoped they would."
Artie sighed deeply in shame, "Well I guess this is goodnight then. I'm sorry if I might have sounded like a jerk with some of the things I just said. I know I let that fucker get to me that bad."
"Don't worry about it. You couldn't have foreseen that prick would be there tonight any more than I could have," she said before focusing her attention on Gino, "You think he's gonna be alright?"
"I really don't know," Artie said looking to the portly man, who stared forward in a glassy-eyed catatonic state. "That bastard has him so scared out of his mind I really can't tell you what's next for him."
"Well I hope he turns out alright. I'll talk to you later," Gladys said turning on her heel and making her way inside, the hitman watching as she disappeared through the front door.
"Take me home," Gino muttered next to him.
Artie stared long and hard at the older man, who still stared forward into space.
With a nod, he shifted the car into drive and made his way back to the bar.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Author's Note: Yeah, I know this wasn't a very action-packed chapter, but I wanted to add my personal touch on a 'friendship activity' as I saw them in the GTA4 arc, hence this was kind of intended to be a break from the typical blood and bullets you've so become accustomed to.
This chapter's title is a word play on the Steven Spielberg movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."
If this had been an actual video game I would indeed say that the inside of the Alhambra would be modeled closely after the Perestroika cabaret club.
In other random notes, the Four Presidents night club is another reference to the city's name and would be largely inspired by Club Liberty and the magician's name is of course a play on 'Poo Nanny,' couldn't resist the urge to throw in another Rockstar-inspired innuendo.
Well that's it until then so read and review as always! Until then, this is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/