1:50 PM, Vanilla Unicorn
Sporting a brown and WSBL open varsity jacket with a black shirt, blue jeans and grey sneakers, Francisco entered the interior of the Vanilla Unicorn, the famous stripclub that he was known for frequenting. He had come to enjoy the stripclub as he liked the darkly-lit neon light surrounding the nightclub's interior, the drinks and most of all-the women who showed off their sultry curves. The stripclub was known for being in Strawberry-something that put off Francisco a bit as he didn't like how gang members would sometimes start fights in the club with the patrons, only for it to end with bruised egos, cuts, bruises or someone being shot up in the club. For the most part, a lot of the activity was quite peaceful-save for the occasional sexual harassment from a pervert trying to catch a feel from the strippers. Francisco was known for one other thing and that was his reputation of having slept with all of the strippers at least once-something which he held in pride.
He walked towards the bar where the brown-haired, brown-eyed, Caucasian bartender, "Ms. J" a.k.a. Jessica was behind the counter dancing to Mariah Carey's "Honey" being played across the nightclub, courtesy of the DJ. She then turned around to see the 23-year old Yaqui Indian man facing her with a grin.
"Francisco! It's been a while since you last came here. How are you these days?" Ms. J asked with a smile as she kissed him on the cheek.
"Well, I'm doing alright for myself these days. You know, always getting into trouble these days." Francisco said as he pulled out ten dollars for a glass of whiskey. Ms. J took the money from him and pulled out a bottle of 'The Hill' whiskey for him and added ice to his cup
"Yeah, I'm aware of your history with being involved with the wrong crowd as you've told me before. Then again, can't blame you for being talented at what you're good at, Pancho." Ms. J said as Francisco downed a shot of whiskey, his insides feeling the burning sensation of the whiskey going down in his system.
Francisco took a sigh and passed on another ten to Ms. J. "Hey, I tried getting a normal job in LC, but my ends weren't met, so I went to the one thing I knew I was good at-killing people with a gun in my hand. Ever since then, I've been doing that to make a decent living in this life." He grabbed another shot and drank it down his system.
"I can see that you're doing pretty well so far. You obviously have a good source of income. Me, I'm just the bartender who makes a good wage from serving men and women who just want to live life."
He nodded in agreement. "Anyway, you obviously have other customers to attend to, so I'm going to try and get a private dance from one of these beautiful ladies." Francisco said with a smirk on his face.
"Then after that, you're going to have sex with them every time you come around here, I assume." Ms. J. asked.
"What can I say, I have that bad boy charm that the ladies can't resist. Speaking of which, I can hear them calling for me." Francisco bragged in an arrogant manner.
"I'm not stopping you anyway, I'm not the one who might get an STD the next morning." Ms. J replied back as she served an African-American patron.
Francisco scoffed. "Says you. That's why I have a condom in my pocket like I always do." He proceeded to walk towards the stage where he saw Chastity in her black and red lingerie outfit performing various pole-dancing moves for a small crowd of testosterone-fueled males who were pleased at the sight of Chastity's body and curves moving in a seductive, sultry manner.
"Muy Caliente! Chastity has really improved since the last time I saw her fine ass. Even this is starting to get me a hard-on." Francisco said, smitten by Chastity's sultry dance and her body.
He leaned towards the railing and observed Chastity executing an Allegra dance and a "Music box" dance for a few minutes and started twerking on the pole, causing him and the others to cheer her on with whistles in the air out of pure excitement and arousement. Out of the rest of the patrons there, Francisco dropped the most money on Chastity, totaling an amount of two thousand dollars for her set. Once she was done with her set, he was waiting for her to come out of the room where the private dances and locker room were located. Fortunately, she comes out still wearing the same lingerie from before and turns towards Francisco.
"Francisco! It was very nice of you to drop two thousand on me, at least this allows me to pay off my bills and rent for a couple weeks. It's been so long, I haven't seen you in the Unicorn for a week. What's been going on?" Chastity said, thanking him for the tip.
Francisco nervously ran his hand through his hair. "Well… I've been busy since I got out of Bolingbrook. So I haven't found time to come here like I normally do."
Chastity smiled. "Well, at least you're doing alright for a guy who got out of prison. Anyway, I have to attend to the patrons around here…" She proceeded to leave Francisco's presence before he grabbed her by her arm. "Wait a minute, my darling. Maybe I can invite you over to my house for some 'hot coffee' maybe. You know… it's been a while since the last time we got together over at your place."
Chastity sighed. "I knew you were going to say something like that as you've said the same thing to the other strippers. Then again, you're better than most of the perverts who visit this place since they jerk off to third-rate pornos. And I should repay you anyways…" At that moment, Francisco heard a ringing call from his phone.
Francisco rolled his eyes over in annoyance, recognizing the caller ID as Ortega. "I'm sorry, my dear. My boss is calling me for something important. I might get occupied later on, so call me when your shift is over." Francisco said to Chastity as he walked over to the short passage where the ATM machines were located and answered Ortega's call.
"Ortega, you know that you've committed a cock-block move, my friend?! I was just doing my thing earlier, but you had to screw that up, amigo. This had better be good." Francisco ranted to Ortega over the phone.
"Well, I'm sorry for ruining your booty call, Pancho. One of my sources informed me about a weapons deal between the Marabunta and the Lost that's going down today at 3:15 PM sharp. I'm sure you've heard of their long-time affliation with one another, right? Apparently, The Lost MC are supposed to load the arms shipment into a van for Marabunta down at the scrapyard in Sandy Shores in return for payment. Just kill whoever the hell is standing in your way and bring it over to my trailer. I'll have someone collect it from you once you get there. God bless and good luck."
Francisco thought long and hard over a strategy on how to go about the job. He couldn't risk being traced by Marabunta and the Lost since both were working together and it would mean a total disaster for everyone he brought along. A distraction would be needed for the job, a scapegoat to take the fall when the job had a priority. Immediately, the solution came to him in his mind as the answer was very simple for him to figure out. Not too long, he then went through his phone for contacts.
First person he thought of calling was Thomas as he had not taken up a job offer from Ortega. Francisco then dialed his phone number and waited for him to answer his call.
"Hey, Francisco. Now is not the best time to call right now. I'm on my second date with Maddie at the movies, so can you make it quick or something?" Thomas said in an anxious tone.
Francisco sighed. "Well, sorry amigo. I didn't know about that. I wanted to ask if you were up for a job offer on behalf of Ortega. It's basically stealing a weapons shipment from the Lost MC and Marabunta Grande."
"Sorry, man. I'm busy right now with the date and all that. Also, Madison will have me by the balls if I take any longer right now. Austin, Miles and Samuel are busy at the moment, said something about a job from Gerald; had to do with one of his homies being captured in Rancho. Listen, I have to go right now and I'm really sorry that we can't help at the moment. Call the rest and see what happens, alright? Good luck with the job, Pancho." Thomas replied hastily as he disconnected the call.
Francisco was then left with the final option of calling in Mikaela, Jamila and Shizuka as he didn't have much of a choice given the situation he was in. He went through his contacts list once more and dialed Mikaela's number in hopes of getting assistance with Ortega's job request. Fortunately for him, she answered his call.
"Hey, Francisco. What's up?" Mikaela inquired from him.
Francisco spoke as he exited the Vanilla Unicorn and made his way to his Tornado. "Well, I was hoping if you guys could help me out with this job I was given by Ortega. You know him, right? Leader of the Varrios Los Aztecas set in Blaine County."
"Only by reputation. Never met him before." Mikaela responded.
"Of course, I've only told Thomas about him. Anyway, the job is basically interrupting a weapons deal between the Lost and Marabunta, down by the Thompson Scrapyard in Blaine County. I'll need you, Jamila and Shizuka for this one since the others are busy at the moment."
"Lucky for you, I don't have much going for me at this time. So yeah, I'll help you with this job of yours. What sort of friend would I be if I lied to right now? I'll see if Jamila's busy and Shizuka's currently at her part-time job right now."
Francisco was blindsided by this as he didn't know Shizuka very well aside from being a friend of Thomas. "Wait a minute, what part-time job?"
2:15 PM, San Andreas Flight School
Shizuka wearing the professional uniform of a flight instructor entered the confines of her small, but modest office, having just finished another session of flight instructing with another trainee. "Well, time to see what's on the schedule for today. Hopefully, the next one is my last for today. I could go for a cigarette break with some coffee from Bean Machine." Shizuka thought, feeling a bit exhausted from her training sessions with the trainees she had been instructing for throughout the past three hours.
Shizuka's office was quite decent for someone who on one hand was involved in both legal and illegal work, but if Shizuka were to tell someone herself, it's pretty nice having the best of both worlds. A small window with blinds was next to a small bookcase containing some of her favorite novels and flight instruction manuels. The only items there were a pair of chairs, on top of her average-sized, brown table was her laptop and flower vase full of white roses on top. Although, feeling the desire to smoke a Redwood cigarette after the lesson ended to push the stress away, she knew that would be for later as she noticed that her schedule was almost complete for the day. Only thing she had to do was complete a final session for the day.
Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door as she was gathering her files. "Come in!" Shizuka shouted. The door opened and the figure was revealed to be a physically fit, blonde woman with sharp blue eyes in her late-20's wearing a red and blue flannel shirt with fitted blue jeans as they fitted her curvy, busty figure; the lady was also sporting small, silver earrings, blue and white Pro Laps sneakers and was sporting a ponytail. Shizuka looked upon the lady with her eyes paying a good detail of attention as she liked how her clothing fit her figure. The woman came up to Shizuka as she sat in her office chair with her hand stretching out towards her.
"Hey, Shizuka!" The woman stated towards Shizuka in a friendly manner. Shizuka proceeded to shake her hand in return, with a warm smile on her face.
"Carla O'Dell. I-It's been a couple w-weeks since you've been here for training, what's been going on with you? Family issues or something?" Shizuka asked in a formal manner.
"I'm doing alright. Traffic was hell as usual in this damned city, but I've managed to get by. Anyway, I just wanted to continue where we last left off. It's something that I've been meaning to take off my bucket list as one of the many things I'd like to do before I die and my ashes are resting in some antique jar." Carla added with a hint of dry humor.
Shizuka giggled a bit. "Well, it seems you made the right call, O'Dell. I'm glad that you still want to go through with it. I'm only hoping that you still remember how to handle the stick really good and don't crash and burn into any tall buildings a la' 9/11, then you're good in my book." Shizuka then stood up and handed Carla a spare flight suit from her closet in case if she lost the one she has in her apartment. Afterwards, they both left Shizuka's office to start Carla's training session.
Air traffic wasn't busy as usual, thus giving both ladies less worries on their minds. Carla and Shizuka entered the hanger section of LSIA via Shizuka's dark black and white Pigelle-something which she brought online over the past couple of weeks thanks to a couple jobs she had been performing with the crew. They drove over to a hanger on the far side of the airport where a red and white Velum aircraft was parked.
"Thank goodness we won't be flying one of those damned Mammatus airplanes, got sick and tired of flying that piece of crap all around Los Santos! I hated how slow that thing was." Carla said to Shizuka, happy that her days of being a beginner were behind her.
Shizuka scoffed it off as they walked over to the Velum craft. "Then you haven't flown the Cargobob or the Titan yet. Those babies are slow, but they get the job done." She then took the passenger seat, while Carla took over flying controls. Carla proceeded to activate the switches around the flight controls while Shizuka watched over. Carla then drove the Velum out of the hanger and started to speed down the tarmac. She then pulled the control stick upward, taking the Velum upward, flying over the airport's as it entered the skies of Los Santos, overlooking the vast, varied landscape of the city and its environment.
"Alright, not too bad. Hey, you ever try flying under the bridges before?" Shizuka asked.
"Me? Not at all, only daredevils with skill do stuff like that. This isn't an action movie where you're getting chased by rogue agents or whatever." Carla stated dryly.
Shizuka laughed a bit. "Well, that's what we're going to do today. That and performing a barrel roll." Carla turned at Shizuka's direction with wide eyes gazing at her. "You've got to be kidding me, I signed up to fly like a normal pilot, not fly like StarPilot 69!"
"Believe me, you're g-gonna need it someday. Who knows, t-there might be a crazed hack who will try to crash his plane into yours just for the hell of it. B-Besides that, I got some other stuff to do after this." Shizuka responded. Carla sighed in defeat as she flew her way towards the Miriam-Turner Overpass. As Carla approached the overpass, she lowered the plane's altitude to fly under the bridge and turned starboard as she approached the overpass from a different angle. Carla calmed herself down and reminded herself to keep the Velum steady as possible as it flew under the overpass, which she performed with relative ease.
"W-well, I'm glad to s-see that you're i-improving, Carla. Now onto the b-barrel roll. Okay, all you have to pull up the stick for a couple s-seconds then you'll spin the plane for a limited amount of time. After that, bring the plane back to normal altitude and turbulence." Shizuka said to Carla.
"Well, no one said that you could become an ace pilot in a day or two." Carla thought to herself. She inhaled deeply and breathed out before getting ready to execute her barrel roll maneuver.
Carla pulled the stick towards her as the plane started flying upwards, thus giving her the opening she needed. She activated the flight controls enabling her to spin the plane, but moved slowly due to the Velum's slow maneuverability. She continued to spin the plane for a couple seconds until she stabilized it once more back on its normal path.
"G-good job, Carla! Now let's fly back to the airport since we're already done with today's lessons." Shizuka said as she high-fived Carla. As they were flying back to the airport, they struck up a conversation about their social lives.
"So tell me Kichida, what do you normally do after flight school hours? Hang out at a bar or play some sports just to burn off those calories?" Carla inquired.
"W-Well, I usually hang out with a small group of p-people that I've gotten really c-close with since last month thanks to a good friend of mine. His name's Thomas by the way. I'm very sure you'd like the guy once you get to meet him. Anyway, I usually go on various social outings like drinking at a bar or a nightclub. One of my favorite bars would be Tequi-La-La in Vinewood. I'd usually go there between 7PM and 12AM." Shizuka added as Carla made a landing approach on the tarmac. The wheels made a squealing sound as the wheels of the Velum landed on the tarmac.
Carla smirked. "Well, it's nice getting to know someone once you get to learn about them better. I mean… I've been flying with you for over a couple weeks so I'm glad that we're getting somewhere." She then proceeded to park the Velum in the hanger the same place where they had found it. They got in Shizuka's Pigelle and drove back to the Flight School's grounds.
Shizuka got out of the car first and shook hands with Carla. "W-Well, I had a great time w-watching you improve your skills! I think y-you'll be ready to become a certified pilot real soon, Carla."
"I appreciate the comment, Shizuka. Hey! How about we have a drink-" Carla said but was caught off-guard by Shizuka who then heard a cliché Hip-Hop ringtone from her phone. She raised her forefinger to Carla as a sign telling her to wait patiently. As she took a look at her phone's screen, her eyes paid attention to a text from Francisco, which read:
[Francisco: Shizuka, I need you meet me at the parking lot next to the Up-n-Atom restaurant in Vinewood. It's something urgent that I'll have to explain once you've met me there. I've already sent out the same messages to Jamila and Mikaela, so they're on their way. One more thing, I'd suggest getting a mask and wear yellow clothes for this one. I'll explain everything later. –Pancho.]
Alerted by this message, Shizuka quickly walked back to her car, but had to make an excuse for Carla as she didn't want her being too suspicious of her action. "Hey, listen, Carla. I have to go s-somewhere. It's quite u-urgent. I'll see you some other time, okay?" Shizuka said as she got back in her Pigelle and turned on its engine.
"Uh, alright then. I'll see you later." Carla said as Shizuka left the Flight School's grounds, joining the slow traffic flow in the Los Santos International Airport.
2:30 PM, Vinewood
Shizuka was at the traffic stop opposite of the In-n-Out restaurant in Vinewood. She rarely visited the affluent, attractive district due to her job as a flight instructor, but only went there whenever there was a new movie out or wanted to hang out around the local nightclubs just to flirt with the local females and have an enjoyable time to herself. She pondered as to why Francisco had wanted the rest of them to meet up at such a shady spot as it meant something serious or wrong was about to happen. The only meetings that took place in alleyways were either small-time drug deals in order to avoid any run-ins with the LSPD or getting high with drug-addicted homeless people.
Shizuka then continued down Las Lagunas Boulevard and made her way into the alleyway where the famed mural was located. There she could spot Jamila, Mikaela and Francisco standing nearby their cars in the parking lot. She then drove her Pigalle in an empty parking space and turned off the engine of her vehicle. Once Shizuka got out, she walked over to where the others were standing and hugged Mikaela (who was sporting tight-hugging black jeggings that suited her thighs and buttocks, a blue midriff covering her breasts and torso while sporting white sports shoes) as she had missed her over the past couple of days no thanks to the job she had a steady income for. She then proceeded to perform handshakes with both Jamila (who was wearing blue denim jeans, black sneakers and a black T-shirt that read "LS" in bold print) and Francisco, still sporting the same clothing from before.
"Alright, Francisco. What's the deal a-about all of t-this secret meet-and-greet s-shit? Afraid the Feds are listening in right now?" Shizuka asked impatiently.
Francisco shook his head in response. "You worry too much, Shizuka. I didn't want anyone fuckin' eavesdropping on something like this, given how so many people in this city will blab to their friends about anything. Anyway enough about that crap, the reason why I called you all here is because of a job that will require a lot of weapons, body armor and stealing a weapons shipment from The Lost MC and Marabunta Grande in Sandy Shores for my boss, Ortega."
Mikaela gave a confused look towards Francisco. "Wait, those two groups are working together? Never heard of that relationship before. Is that why you had us wear this weird-ass cholo Vago getup?"
Francisco sighed as he recalled the history behind the Salvadorian gang and the Lost. "Basically, they've had some connection with Marabunta in the past couple of years in different parts of the States, particularly in the Northeast where they were making various illegal deals with them, just for weapons and shit. Relations between the Vagos and the Lost got strained after we started fucking things up for them, both sides thought someone in both ends was leaking out info to a gang of random mercs. It got worse after the Vagos uncovered their dirty history with MBG, so they severed all ties with the Lost afterwards. Now shit's about to blow up in the Lost's face once we eliminate them and leave incriminating evidence pointing at the Vagos while they are none the wiser."
Jamila sighed, knowing the consequences that would result from their actions. "You are aware this will ignite a war between Marabunta, The Lost and Vagos on a two-to-one ratio, right? We are basically creating a bloody shitstorm here. Also, isn't Ortega said to be one of the head honchos of the Aztecas? I've seen his name on Bleeter before since some MB boys would mention his name in disgust about how his gang is trying to stir the pot around their operations in BC."
"I see you've done your homework, Jamila. The Aztecas and Marabunta Grande have been engaging in a gang war for the past month, trying to gain control of the gun and drug trade in the county. Believe me, this might be the only way we'll give an upper hand for the Aztecas in the long run. Also, I think the Lost would have a huge score to settle with the Vagos while MBG would think twice of splintering forces to fight off two rival Mexican gangs." Francisco explained to Jamila and the others.
"Francisco, aren't you worried one bit about the safety of your life since you live in Rancho of all places? The results won't be pleasing to hear once we go through with this. I've lost a couple good people to this sort of shit." Mikaela asked, with a sign of concern of her face. Deep down, she was worried about the potential implications of being involved in a gang war as she had lost some friends in her past to gang violence in Vice City, given the disputes over drug distribution and control in the city's criminal underworld.
"I've been a soldier since I was a youth. I think I've gotten accustomed to the violence in Rancho to a certain extent, so not at all. Plus, I got you guys to back me up when shit hits the fan." He then went to open up the trunk of his Tornado, revealing a cache of weapons and armor.
"So far, I've managed to secure four Vom Feuer Carbine Rifles and Heavy Shotguns, along with body armor and ammunition thanks to our dear 2nd Amendment pro-gun seller, Ammu-Nation and their 40% discount sale. Can't use explosives on this one since we can't risk blowing up the armament in the van and it has to be delivered for the Aztecas. So instead, I brought ourselves a Jerry Can for the job. More efficient for the job." Francisco addressed to the others.
Shizuka spoke up next. "Okay, y-you said the o-operation's at Sandy Shores, but w-where specifically?"
Francisco mentally cursed at himself for forgetting the location where the weapons deal was taking place. "It's at the scrapyard nearby Sandy Shores. I'm sorry, I should have been clearer about that."
Mikaela replied, "Don't w-worry about it. Come on, I think we have a shipment to pawn off in Blaine County." The others nodded in agreement with Shizuka. Francisco and Jamila rode in his Tornado while Shizuka and Mikaela drove off in her Stanier.
3:15 PM, Blaine County
The bright, shining sun amongst cloudy skies cast all of its sunlight across the Grand Senora Desert and Sandy Shores as it was a sunny day out for any commuters driving on the Interstate and the poor, local residents of Blaine County, save for those who were profiting off of Crystal Meth, drugs and the gun trade in the area.
The gang of four- Francisco, Jamila, Shizuka and Mikaela had exited the Interstate and entered the area of Blaine County to hijack the arms shipment for Ortega, the set leader of Varrios Los Aztecas. As they neared the entrance to the scrapyard, all of them put on their masks in order not to be identified by their adversaries; unless found dead and being found riddled by bullets, of course. Francisco had on a "Day of the Dead" skull mask with blue, red and black floral decorations with various markings on it, including a cross on the forehead of the mask; Jamila was sporting a Princess Robot Bubblegum mask as a homage to one of her favorite programs; Mikaela wore a black, white and yellow hockey mask with colorful lighting streaks imprinted on the mask, while Shizuka sported a gray "skull" mask.
Both the Professionals and Marabunta gang members were currently having a discussion on the other side of the scrapyard. Specifically, the area where rusting jetliners and abandoned vehicles were left to rust for many years. The gang drove into the scrapyard, passing by the abandoned warehouse and smaller units surrounding the warehouse. Francisco's Tornado slowly entered the scrapyard, with Shizuka and Mikaela following behind them. They took a good look at their surroundings and noticed that they were dealing with heavy resistance. A total of eight Lost MC bikers and Marabunta gangbangers surrounded the area with a black Vapid Speedo van which contained the arms shipment, two Lost MC Gang Burrito vans, and two turquoise Albany Emperors within their midst.
They parked their cars a couple feet away from where both their enemies were as they wanted to give a good opening for when they'd hijack the van off the soon-to-be dead bodies of both Professionals and MBG members. All of them got out of the cars at the same time as one of the Professionals, an African-American male sporting a pair of black gloves, grey sports coat, black dress shoes, denim jeans and blue collar shirt with a goatee and dreadlocks was looking around the scrapyard, noticed Francisco, Mikaela, Shizuka and Jamila with their body armor, weapons and masks on.
The black Lost MC biker shouted in the air, "What the fuck is this bullshit? We're no longer dealing with you Vago assholes anymore! Not after our little deals always ended up with our brothers and sisters' deaths and trying to set us as usual."
Jamila sneered at the comment. "Nigga, shut the fuck up- actin' like you can talk your shit 24/7. Save your feelings for LifeInvader. You Meth-addled, cock-sucking bitches have something we'd like to steal off your hands. Francisco had a humored expression on his face despite the mask he was wearing, amazed that she was pretty blunt in her sharp insult. "Damn. Nice insult there." He whispered with a grin on his face.
The Lost biker gave an angry stare towards Jamila and the others. "Well, you'll have to take it from our dead bodies, you little-"He was suddenly interrupted as Jamila fired fourteen rounds from her Carbine Rifle at the man who was still talking trash towards her and her teammates, hitting the man in his stomach and intestines. The man staggered backwards as he touched his hands on the wound sites and fell on the ground as he felt his own presence fading away.
"What were you saying, nigga?" Jamila said mockingly to the deceased man's body.
One of the Lost MC bikers, a mixed-race male who was half black and white with a shaved haircut gave a dark, angry stare at them and shouted, "You crazy bitch! You just killed Jamal! Die you pieces of shit!" He started to take aim at the others- forcing them to move quickly on their feet to seek out cover behind the same vehicles they drove in with pairs as he started firing. Soon, every Professional and MBG gangbanger was firing at their cars, hoping to kill the team of mercenaries who were attempting to steal their shipment.
Shizuka and Mikaela were hidden behind the other side of the latter's Stanier, but were laying down fire at both Professionals and Marabunta alike. Shizuka managed to kill two Caucasian Lost MC gunmen by sheer luck of ten rounds to the chest each, as they had exposed themselves while moving up to a rusty van nearby just to gain the upper hand on them. Jamila on the other hand, had fired two shells from her pump-action shotgun into the abdomen of a bandana-masked Marabunta gangbanger, who was wearing an oversized blue polo shirt, short blue pants, and blue sneakers. The blast had left the gangbanger collapsing to the ground as a bloody mess to his ribcage since bits and pieces of his flesh and bones fell on the sand.
Francisco popped out of cover within a ruined transit bus and fired twelve rounds at the Lost MC biker who opened fire on him and his fellow teammates earlier as the man popped open next to the side of a black Gang Burrito. The first eight rounds were caught by his body armor, but the other four penetrated through the vest, entering his heart and lungs as they tore through his flesh, fatally wounding the biker. Francisco then received six rounds to the right side of his ribcage by a MBG gangbanger nearby holding an AK-47. He felt the painful impact of the rounds hitting him, but was protected by his vest.
"Burro de mierda! Esperar hasta llegar a que se iluminaron." Francisco swore as grasped his ribcage and inhaled sharply.
(Fucking jackass! Wait until I get you lit up)
The MGB thug was about to aim at him once again, but was saved in the nick of time by Jamila who fired a shell from her shotgun. The impact hit the man's face, blasting off the flesh off of the right side of his face to the ground as his body fell to the ground with blood leaking out at the wound site.
"Thanks for the save!" Francisco shouted amidst the gunfire as he reloaded his rifle while returning back for cover. Jamila gave a nod in return. "You're welcome, just make sure you don't fucking die out here."
Francisco snorted a bit with a chuckle. "I've been in fights like these before. I think the fact I'm still standing here before you counts."
Jamila then reloaded her shotgun and dropped two shells on a Caucasian Lost gunman who wore a white hockey mask with a black Lost MC jacket, shoes and pants to match. The impact of the rounds left five, bloody wounds on his chest (specifically near his heart) as he fell backwards to the ground, his consciousness going blank. She then took five rounds to her chest albeit body armor as a Marabunta soldier with a facial tattoo, black sunglasses and white bandana, sporting the cholo attire of an average MGB soldier had fired his SMG at her from the passenger side of an Emperor. Jamila took cover and fired back in return, but Shizuka finished the job by firing a burst of rounds at his forehead thanks to her red dot sight, tearing through the flesh of the man's forehead as the body fell against the driver's side of an Albany Emperor nearby, staining it in blood.
Mikaela had also taken down two more MBG soldiers armed with AK-47's around the same time, but had taken eight rounds to her lower abdomen area and two rounds to both her forearms in turn.
"Damn, that shit really hurts!" She thought as she felt the sore pain of her forearm wounds and abdomen wounds, but shook it off mentally as she knew she had to keep calm and stable during a situation as volatile as this one. It was situations like this one she was mentally grateful for her military training experience.
Francisco pulled the trigger of his pump shotgun twice at a black Lost MC male in his 20's with a scuffy beard and buzzcut hairstyle, wearing a black Lost MC shirt and blue jeans, white shirt. The man shouted loudly as the shells went into his lower abdomen and blew away parts of his vital organs such as his liver and pancreas. He then reloaded again, performed a combat roll and aimed at the face of an Japanese Professional, blowing away chunks of his nose, mouth and jaw-leaving a messy exit for the deceased young male.
Meanwhile, Shizuka laid down eight rounds from her Carbine Rifle at a Marabunta soldier with a shaved head, blue tanktop and jeans, entering through the man's intestines as he staggered to the ground on his knees, looking at the sky as his vision faded away into nothingness. She reloaded her rifle, but found out to her annoyance that she was down to two magazines.
"Sore o inakamono no hakujin yarō, ima wa yamero." Shizuka cursed in her native Japanese tongue as she fell under fire from a Caucasian Lost gunman holding a Carbine Rifle, who fired eight rounds below her cleavage, but was protected by her body armor.
(Goddamn it, not now.)
Unfortunately for her, if she took anymore rounds, she would be at risk of being wounded or worse. She then performed a combat roll to her right and fired ten rounds into the man's intestines, gallbladder and liver. Having taken down the last Professional hitman, she went to regroup with her teammates who were engaged in a gunfight against the last of the Marabunta gang members.
Shizuka entered back into the action as Francisco fired a shell into the skull of a MBG gangbanger in his 50's, wearing a blue polo shirt with denim jeans and black kicks. The shotgun blast blew chunks of his brain matter and bone away as the man's body fell onto the ground with a large thud.
Mikaela and Jamila took down two MBG thugs in their twenties with sheer force as they both ended their young lives with twelve rounds to their chests each, penetrating their abs, lungs, various tendons and spine. As she examined the scene before her eyes, she noticed a young Salvadorian male in his early twenties who wore skull-like facial tattoos with a thick mustache and stubble, sporting a black button-up shirt with a collar, blue and white fitted hit, dark blue bandana, faded-out blue jeans and white sneakers moving around the bullet-ridden, blood-stained vehicles nearby the Speedo van. The young male had escaped everyone's sight as they were focused on eliminating the rest of the remaining Professional and Marabunta forces.
"No way in hell am I letting these bastards steal away what is rightfully ours!" The guy swore with venom under his breath as he moved around the vehicles, hoping to reclaim the arms shipment for the notorious Central American gang.
Suddenly, she turned her head towards the Speedo van's engine came to life as the young Marabunta gangbanger had ducked himself under the dashboard in order not to attract attention. Francisco, Jamila and Mikaela turned around, but noticed this too late as the MBG thug started pressing on the gas pedal, driving past them.
"Fuck you Va-Hoes and your piece of shit varrio! Marabunta Grande for life!" The young Marabunta gang member shouted out of the driver's window as he threw up a MBG gang sign with his left hand, representing the Salvadorian gang
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, ASSHOLE!" Shizuka shouted as she took aim with her scope and fired eleven rounds from her Carbine Rifle into the back window of the Speedo, shattering the glass and tore through the young gangbanger's back-penetrating three rounds that struck his spine, four rounds into the liver and another four into his stomach; all of them exited out of his body, striking various parts of the dashboard. He then exited out of the van and collapsed onto the ground a dead man as blood and pieces of his organs started leaking out of him. As for the van, it crashed into a small trailer nearby, but due to the slow speed it was picking up, the van had a not-too-serious dent on the front bumper.
They walked over to where the young man's body was and examined the interior of the Speedo. The rest grimaced at the bloody mess that Shizuka had performed upon the unfortunate gangbanger.
"Damn, you really did a number on the bastard." Mikaela said with wide eyes as she looked at the bloody stains and the deceased man's body.
"Well, it was either kill h-him or go through the ridiculous t-trouble of a car chase scenario once again. I grew tired of that shit, so I decided to blast him" Shizuka replied back.
"Anyway, someone will have to deliver the van." Jamila noted.
Francisco suddenly answered the question. "I'll do it since I know the way to the man's trailer. Jamila, here are my keys to my Tornado. Actually… there's something I want to leave here as a message for both the Lost and Marabunta." He said as he removed two yellow canisters from the passenger side of his car.
"Wait, you h-have one of those c-cans that are used for g-graffiti? What for?" Shizuka inquired.
Francisco replied as he went up to one of the Albany Emperors. "Well, since we came dressed up like Vagos gang members. I thought it would be better if I left a message for both groups that the Vagos were responsible. Just to throw them off our trail of blood that we left behind here. It's better this way."
Shizuka shrugged it off. "Better than us using their b-blood as writing on their v-vehicles to leave them a w-warning. That would piss them off some more." On both Emperors, Francisco had left a series of vulgar insults for Marabunta and the Lost MC; He sprayed the name "Mara-Puta Grande" and "LSV" on the Emperors and left a message on both Gang Burritos reading "Fuck the Lost!"
Not long after, Francisco was the first to leave the scrapyard with the van while Jamila, Mikaela and Shizuka followed en route to Ortega's trailer nearby the Zancudo River.
3:35 PM, Nearby the Zancudo River, off of Joshua Road
The sun was still out in its natural glory with cloudy skies across the skies of Blaine County. The vast, grassy, natural environment surrounding the Zancudo River and the mountains was one of the few wonders in Blaine County, despite the county's economic troubles that has rocked it since the mid-2000's no thanks to political corruption, an abusive law enforcement, illegal activities and drug use. All of which seemingly made Los Santos appear a bit tame to outsiders and the citizens alienated by the culture there. However what also made the environment beautiful in its own way were the extensive amount of animals that roamed through the area such as Deer, Rabbits and Boars, along with the Lago Zancudo itself.
The team drove off of Joshua Road and onto the area where Ortega's trailer was located. Francisco was the first to park outside of Ortega's trailer with the van as Jamila, Mikaela and Shizuka followed in suit. Francisco hopped out of the van and walked over to the front door of Ortega's trailer as he knocked on it. The door opened, revealing Ortega-wearing a blue jacket and black shirt with grey jeans and white Pro Laps sneakers.
"Francisco, teníaquellevar lafurgoneta conlasarmas?" Ortega asked in his native Spanish as he shook his hand.
(Francisco, did you bring the van with the weapons?)
"Sí, Ortega. Losbrazos están enla furgonetaen este momento yque estén enbuenas condiciones." Francisco replied back to Ortega as they both walked over to the van.
(Yes, Ortega. The arms are in the van and they're in good condition.)
Ortega laughed heartily as he patted him on the back, thankful for having someone like Francisco working for him. "You never cease to amaze, amigo. I'm also sure you have those ladies over there to thank for helping you with this task."
Francisco made a smile. "Well, they always have my back and I couldn't be any happier. Had I not met Thomas and the others, I would have relied on some amateur gunman who would've fucked things up in the first place!"
Ortega nodded in agreement. He considered Francisco to be one of the best hired guns in Los Santos as he had years of hardened experience under his belt for a young man like him. It reminded him of his younger days when he was part of the earlier generation of the Aztecas in Los Santos, repping the varrio proudly in Northern Rancho. Now he was the one in charge in Blaine County and had an entire set in his hands.
"Well then, I'll have to wire the four of you your hard-earned cash. I'm thinking a total of $18,930 dollars for going through that much trouble helping to secure the arms shipment on behalf of the Blaine County Aztecas." Ortega said in a grateful manner, pleased with the results of the job.
"Thanks, Ortega. Could have been a bit more, but it's a decent payout for our first job for you." Mikaela said to the Aztecas leader.
Ortega nodded in response. "Your welcome. Anyway, I need to make a couple phone calls right now. Keep up the good work, you guys. Jobs like these will do wonders for the Aztecas in Blaine." He then left in their presence and went back to his trailer, leaving the crew of four to themselves.
Having the sudden idea of a social outing, Mikaela said "Hey, how about we go to Tequi-La-La tonight? I'm up for a couple drinks after this."
Shizuka's eyes lit up in excitement once she heard both their names. "I'm up for it, I haven't been out in the nightlife scene for a while now. How about you guys?"
"Not yet, but I will after we enter back into Los Santos. Francisco, Jamila, you guys wanna come with us?" Mikaela admitted.
"I'm up for it. But I'm not going to be the only man with you ladies tonight. I'mma get the rest of the gang up in that bitch." Francisco said in agreement. Jamila gave a nod, "Sure. I've got to get to get out more, anyways."
"Alright then, it's settled. Come on, let's get back into the city. I could use some shuteye after this bloody business." Mikaela stated as she went back into her Stanier with Shizuka.
"Agreed, sister." Shizuka replied. They then went back onto the roads of Blaine County making their way back into Los Santos.
5:10 PM, 1115 Boulevard Del Perro
Thomas woke up off his bed wearing nothing but a tanktop and gray gym shorts as he stretched his body from a one-hour period of resting. His first thoughts upon waking up was about the date between himself and Madison. They both went out to the Astro Theaters to watch "Die Already 4", the fourth and final entry of the "Die Already" series. Before the date began, he had hopes that the 4th Die Already entry would have at least a strong script, more commitment and conviction than "Die Already 3"- a film which he left a strongly-written vulgar review on . Unfortunately for him, his hopes were dashed as "Die Already 4" had possessed half, if not less of the promise the first two efforts had and went for more action, convoluted subplots, over-the-top action sequences and a half-baked script.
"Thank God we left the theaters after that steaming pile of horseshit ended. Couldn't stand to see a bunch of good actors perform in a disjointed film like that. Wasn't the best movie to watch on a first date, but at least I got spend time with Maddie." Thomas thought to himself as he changed into a red and white flannel shirt with a white long-sleeve shirt underneath, khaki cargo pants, a fitted black Los Santos cap and a pair of Eris Turbo sneakers to wear.
He went to grab a bottle of Logger Beer out of the fridge and snapped off the bottle cap. As he proceeded to drink out of the bottle, he heard the sound of his phone ringing from his bedroom. He quickly paced his way there and picked it up as it sat on top of his dresser set.
Thomas laid his eyes on the phone number, but didn't recognize the number as anyone from his phone's contact list. "Who the hell is this? Probably some unknown number or someone looking for something else, might as well answer it." Thomas deduced in his mind as he answered the call.
He heard the voice of a gruff, aged Mexican male over the phone. "Hello there, Mr. Marston! Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Martin Madrazo and I am the leader of the Madrazo Cartel. I've heard about your exploits with the crew that you've been running with for a while now and I can say that I'm impressed with the record I've seen from the likes of you. I was wondering if you wanted to talk business and doing me a bunch of services and favors."
Thomas was thrown off by Madrazo's mention of his name. It weirded him out about how much value people put on a man's reputation when it came to the world of organized crime. However, he assumed that given the unrestricted access of the dark web, someone from Madrazo's cartel may have looked into his records from when he fought in Merryweather Security and his past jobs in Liberty City after he left the paramilitary organization.
After a moment of consideration, he decided to take up the man's offer, looking at it as another open door of opportunity to make profit for himself and everyone else.
"Yeah, I'll take up your offer. Where am I supposed to meet you then?"
"You'll meet me on Hillcrest Drive in Vinewood Hills. It's the last white and brown modernist mansion with a large deck in the back. Can't miss the place, looks very rich with taste for a city like Los Santos. I will see you by 5:30 at the latest. Come by earlier if you wish, the more the merrier. See you later."
Thomas then ended the call as his thoughts turned to Francisco considering his stance on dealing with the cartels. He had good reason to assume as much, given the conversation he shared with him last month about how the cartels had ruined Mexican life on the streets and were feeding the corruption in the country day by day. Although Thomas did not know what intentions or purposes Madrazo has in store for him and his friends, he hoped that the work would not be like the publicized actions of the cartels such as mass murders of innocent civilians and rape. Despite being involved in crime himself, Thomas knew there were some lines that had to be drawn.
He then went on to call Francisco, wishing to speak to him about the conversation with Madrazo. "Hey, Francisco. You there, my man? I've got to talk to you about something important."
"Hola, Marston. Give me the rundown, my friend." Francisco said as he tuned the radio in his room to East Los FM, having just finished a shower.
Thomas took a deep breath before giving him the news. "Are you familiar with the name Martin Madrazo?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Why are you telling me this?" Francisco asked in a curious tone.
"Madrazo contacted me just a couple minutes. He has given all of us the opportunity to work directly for him." Thomas said frankly.
"FUCK THAT, I ain't working for that son of a bitch! He can go to hell for all I care. He's just like those bastardos who've helped Mexico turn into the shithole that it is today! I can't believe you even agreed to his offer!" Francisco shouted over the phone as he slammed his fist on his dresser table. Thomas then heard him mutter a few curse words in Spanish out of anger and malice.
"Listen to me for a moment, Pancho! As far as I know, Madrazo isn't commanding his lieutenants and cartel soldiers to ruthlessly murder children and women nor forcing men to fight like it's the Roman Empire all over again. I took his offer as an opportunity for every one of us, think of the rewards here. At least he has class unlike The Diablos' cartel, who are nothing but fucked up barbarians!" Thomas argued as he paced in his living room.
"Shit, I can't even argue with you there about Los Diablos. Believe me, I've seen their nasty work. Those fucks live up to their name. Damn it… Alright, I'll work for Madrazo but on one condition." Francisco said with a serious tone in his voice. If he was going to work for a man like Martin Madrazo, one thing was for sure; the fact that he wouldn't work for him long enough to become like anyone in the cartels in Mexico.
"And what would that be?" Thomas inquired. "I'm only doing no less than five jobs, take it or leave it. I didn't come to the position I'm in right now just to become a slave to the cartels once again. There are times when lines have to be drawn across the sand, Thomas." Francisco said, standing firm with his ultimatum.
"Alright, then. If that's what you truly want, then who am I to stop you. Anyway, let's gather the others to meet in front of Madrazo's place. I already got the address thanks to Madrazo himself." Thomas said, no longer wishing to advance the argument forward.
"Adios, Thomas. I'll see you soon." Francisco flatly said as he dropped the call.
5:30 PM, Hillcrest Drive, outside of Madrazo's Mansion
Thomas was the last to arrive outside of Martin Madrazo's mansion as he noticed everyone else's vehicles parked outside of the sleek, modernist mansion. He walked towards the mansion's gates when suddenly Martin Madrazo had walked out of the door. Madrazo was dressed in a matching blue suit with a white shirt underneath and blue dress pants with black dress shoes. The cartel leader also wore a golden ring on his left hand, specifically on his ring finger, which of course showed that he was married. Thomas also noticed a large, golden necklace hanging on his neck, although he couldn't tell if it was a Jesus piece.
Martin approached him and shook his hand. "Mr. Marston. I'm so glad you made it on time, although your friends came here earlier than you did. They're still inside waiting for you."
Thomas gave a nod. "Thanks for letting me know and call me Thomas, please. I'm not too comfortable with titles sometimes."
"If that's what you like, then." Martin said as they walked to the front steps of Martin's mansion. As the door opened, the rest of the crew turned their heads and noticed Thomas and Madison was the first to greet Thomas with a kiss on the cheek.
"How's my sweetheart doing?" Thomas said as he went to greet the rest with hugs and handshakes. Madison made a small laugh as she downed a shot of whiskey from a small glass. "I'm doing pretty good; I was beginning to think you wouldn't show."
"You guys arrived here earlier than I did, so that's not really fair to make. I've got to say, Madrazo. You have quite a taste in interior. When did you get this place?" Thomas asked of Madrazo. He was amazed by the looks of his mansion, which he assumed was in the range of over one million dollars. A majority of the mansion's floors were smoothly wooden and well done, the carpeting only surrounded by the kitchen, living room and its furniture. The walls were smooth with a gray paint that complimented the mansion. Nearby the entrance was a spiraling staircase that led to an upstairs living room and two bedrooms, along with a guest bedroom.
"I acquired this place a couple years ago thanks to the money my cartel had acquired, but I have it registered under a Mexican holdings company. The mansion is for a mist… *clears his throat loudly* associate of mine who I'm very close to, but isn't present at the moment." Martin said as he lit up a cigar. Thomas and Madison both shared a skeptical look on their faces, knowing well that there was more to what Madrazo was implying.
Samuel abruptly spoke up from across the kitchen, pouring a glass of wine as he passed it to Francisco. "Hey, are we just here for a tour of the place like we're at an art exhibit or are we going to get down to business?"
Martin pointed at him with a serious glare in his eyes. "I'd suggest showing some respect to your host, Mr. Ross! At least a peon with manners would show more respect than you just did. I'd advise watching that tongue of yours next time or else it will be cut off."
Samuel gulped awkwardly in response and went to sit down on one of the lavish couches next to Miles at the living room.
"Anyway, the reason why I've gathered the rest of you here is because I believe the skills that you have would be quite essential to my cartel. Over the past few months, a bunch of common enemies we happen to share… if you will, have been quite the trouble to my operations across Los Santos and beyond." Martin said as he took a moment to smoke his cigar.
"Those common enemies would happen to be The Lost, The Professionals and the Ballas, if my hunch is correct." Austin implied. Martin smoked from his cigar once more before snuffing it out on the ashtray.
"Yes, you are correct, my friend. Those organizations have been a thorn to my side, disrupting my operations for my business and my sizable control of the guns and products in this city and beyond. Not only that, but even the law is getting on my nerves since some of them are outright unjust and are willing to bribe jurors and members of the public just to put me in a rotting cell. Most recent of all was Merryweather Security, who are offering some of their services to rival parties. So I'm asking of you all to go above and beyond on my behalf."
"What's in it for us, then?" Miles asked with arms crossed.
"Money, of course! You men and women are hired guns, after all? Isn't the pursuit of riches within your job description? Besides, you all signed up to kill for the sake of cash. Plus, the money you will receive will be bountiful enough to live in one of those high-rise apartments in Vinewood and elsewhere."
Francisco made a small sneer with the roll of his eyes. What troubled the young Yaqui Mexican was despite the fulfilling promises Madrazo had given, he had an uncomfortable feeling in his gut that in time-Madrazo would kill them by a hit squad if he found barely any single use of them for the sake of his cartel's operations. After all, he had been involved in the Mexican underworld long enough to know what the cartels were like in personality, so he saw Madrazo as no different, only more mild-mannered. He hoped in time that the others would see through Madrazo on a larger scale
"So how about it, then? Allies instead of adversaries?" Madrazo asked from everyone in the room.
Thomas went up to him and extended a hand. "Wouldn't have it any other way, Mr. Madrazo. This could be the start of a beautiful partnership." Martin gave a smirk directed towards him. "I share your sentiments then, Thomas." The others followed in suit and Francisco was the last one to stand before Madrazo. He gave the man a sharp glare in his eyes and had his arms at bay for a moment, for a moment it seemed to the others that Francisco would throw a harsh punch at the man, but instead
"Anyway, we'll be leaving right now. We have places to go, people to visit, bars to get drunk at and make bad decisions after downing some shots." Miles said in a half-humored tone as they exited Madrazo's mansion.
"Of course, of course. Have the rest of today to yourselves. But remember, I might give you guys your first job to pull off tomorrow or the week after. So please, for the sake of your lives and reputation, don't fuck it up or there will be hell to pay." Madrazo said as he waved them off and went back into the mansion as he received a call from his wife, Patricia.
Mikaela was the first to break the silence. "Well, this should turn into a series of interesting events. Madrazo doesn't seem to be the cleanest boss, but at least there's a certain level of class to him. And he seems like the sort of guy who will pay reasonably."
Francisco added his piece into the mix. "Let me be honest with you all when I say this, but I wouldn't put my damn fate into his hands. He's the sort of guy that will fuck you up by the time you either screw him over or if he sees you as a liability. That's why I'm working for him on a temporary basis and I'd advise you all to do the same."
"Actually, I agree with you, Pancho. Given the fact that he runs a cartel, the guy isn't known to be so forgiving. That's expected of people who run anything from a syndicate to a cartel. That's the underworld for you, man. Either you prove you're an asset or get put on the chopping block and wind up dead somewhere in an alleyway. We all signed up for this shit." Austin added.
"Then we'll have to p-prove our worth t-then." Shizuka remarked.
"Definitely. I was going to ask the rest of y'all if you wanted to head out to Tequi-La-La for some drinks tonight around seven. Francisco, Jamila, Shizuka and I are already going. So do you guys want to come by?" Mikaela asked
Thomas gave a shrug. "Got nothing better to do tonight. Maddie, you up for it?" Madison gave a warm look to her lover. "Yeah, just wait until we get to the basement where I'll kick your ass at pool. I'll wager a thousand."
"Not if I can help it, Bellamy. You're dealing with someone who's been playing billiards since high school and I was quite the player back then. Pray my skills aren't rusty." Thomas bragged with a smug smirk as he rubbed his hand on her forearm playfully.
"Alright, now I'm interested. I'm betting on Marston for five hundred." Miles declared. Samuel laughed at Miles' statement. "Five hundred dollars, Miles? Have some heavy balls like a real man and go higher. I'm throwing in two thousand on Madison!"
"Heavy balls, Sam? Have you been to the doctor for testicular cancer, lately?"
Samuel then face palmed himself, realizing the error of what he had just implied.
Austin gave a shrug of defeat. "Sure, I could go for an outing with you guys. Let's just make sure not to get too drunk or else they might declare a ban on our asses."
"Well, I'll be leaving here anyway. We have a game to play, down some shots and money to lose and keep." Thomas said as he walked over to his car and drove off from the area. Not too soon, everyone else left getting ready for the night.
7:00 PM, Tequi-La-La, Vinewood
The night was fresh and lively on the streets of Vinewood as a full moon was out in the night sky, with visible smog in the air. There were numerous civilians walking up and about on the streets, ready to enjoy the night by going to various clubs such as The Lust Resort, notoriously known only for its famous restroom quickies, drug use and one-night stands; Eclipse Lounge, a nightclub that's been visited by the famous A-list and B-list stars of Vinewood; Singleton's-a nightclub which currently serves as a place for where horny and desperate singles to hook up and serving Barbecue dishes of different styles; The Dungeon Crawler- a famous nightclub known to be frequented by the rich socialites and celebrities of Los Santos. The place also held a reputation for heavy drug use as the late actor River Lazarus had overdosed on cocaine outside of the nightclub during the mid-1990's.
The rest of the crew walked into the basement of the Tequi-la-la with beer bottles in hand. Thomas had gone on over to set up the eight-ball rack while Madison walked over to grab a pair of pool sticks for the both of them to use. Madison then handed Thomas a pool stick of his own as he finished organizing the balls in the correct order.
As Austin looked around the basement, his eyes caught sight of an old jukebox from the 1970's. "I didn't know this basement had an old jukebox from the sixties! This one even has some old pop songs from long ago. Dylan, Beatles, Beach Boys…" Austin said in amazement.
Miles chuckled a bit and made a small smirk. "Dang, Austin. Never knew you were such a soft fanatic for the classics. You come off as more of a 90's and 00's alt-rock kind of guy."
"Well, when your parents introduce you to some classics, you tend to realize how influential they are on pop culture."
"Alright, babe. You ready to lose and drink in shallow defeat?" Madison said to Thomas in a playful tone.
Thomas dismissed her statement with a wave of his hand. "Please, in your dreams. You know what they say, don't get too cocky. In games like these, anything can happen." He then walked over to the side where the cue ball was lying opposite of the 8-ball rack. Thomas then took a deep breath as he pulled back the stick in his right hand. He quickly struck the cue ball with strong force as the ball broke up the rack harshly. All of the balls on the pool table were hitting at random sides and corners until a solid number two ball entered the upper right corner hole nearby where Madison was standing.
"Hell yeah! First one in the hole tonight." Thomas shouted in an enthusiastic cheer.
"Don't get too cocky. Remember, the game's left to chance." Madison reminded Thomas.
"Then watch me work some of my magic here." Thomas then moved to the upper right corner where the cue ball was lying close enough to the hole where the first solid ball sank. He took a sharp observation around the pool table where the other balls were still lying about. The only ball he knew he could hit was an orange-colored number five ball adjacent of where the cue ball was facing.
Thomas took his stance once more as he aimed his cue stick at the cue ball. He thrusted the stick at the cue ball, but put too much force into his shot, resulting into the cue ball sinking into the hole with the number five ball.
"Shit!" Thomas cursed under his breath in annoyance as he picked out the cue ball and gave it to Madison.
"Get ready to have your clock cleaned out." Madison said, placing the cue ball next to a blue-striped, number ten ball at her left. The shot for her was easy since she hit the cue ball with a slight tap. What occurred shortly was the arrival of Carla walking downstairs with the same clothing on, much to the surprise of Shizuka as she had not expected her to arrive at the bar, not to mention her previous encounter with her during the training session.
Shizuka gave her a suspecting stare as she walked towards her. Everyone else gave confused looks on their faces, interrupting the pool game. "Carla, what are you doing here? I wasn't expecting your visit."
"Come on, Shizuka. I came here to enjoy the vibrant nightlife here and meet people. Also, it was by chance anyway. So I'm guessing these are your friends here?"
Shizuka then decided to pass off her suspicions as there were a few reasons for someone to just visit a nightclub at night. She then went to introduce the others to Carla. "Yeah, that's Thomas over there and his girlfriend, Madison. And the rest are Mikaela, Jamila, Austin, Miles, Francisco and Samuel."
"So what is it that you guys do? You guys work honest jobs like everyone else in this city or by other means?" Carla questioned from everyone else in the basement.
"Well, I'm not going to beat around the bush, that's word on my grave if I'mma die sooner or later. Yeah, we're involved in organized crime, girl. Why do you ask? Got something that you're hiding or what?!" Jamila said as she slowly walked up to her in an intimidating posture.
Carla shot her a dirty glare for a moment, looking quite pissed off. "Hey, Shizuka. Tell your friend here to back the fuck up here. Look, I'm just like you guys trying to make a quick buck in this business and I'm sorry Shizuka for not mentioning this to you a while ago. You know how the economic situation is in Los Santos. Some people can't even get by no thanks to this damned economy. Also, I've been in this sort of shit for a couple years and I know my way around weapons, combat and all that jazz. If you let me join up with you all, I can at least prove my worth."
Thomas let out a sigh. "I mean… when you put it that way, I can't argue with your case. Shit, we're all in this together. We're all making profit off of killing people. And you all know how the saying goes, 'the more the merrier'."
Carla gave a rough pat on the chest to Thomas. "Now that wasn't so tough to admit right there. Hey, weren't the two of you playing a game of pool before I got here? Come on, let's have some beers and get loose for the night."
"Now we're talking! I'm starting to like her already!" Samuel said as he finished his beer.
From there onwards, the game of pool continued on with the addition of Carla to the gang of nine as there was a sense of livelihood and tranquility emitting from the amicable atmosphere that night.
Hello there, everyone! The chapter you all have been waiting for the past four months is finally here. Funny thing is this is like over 11,000 words in total right now. Anyway, let me cut to the chase to explain the chapter as best as I can. I wanted to give a short insight into the lives of a couple characters such as Shizuka and Francisco to show a piece of who they are as characters. I'll admit that maybe some of it might seem uninspired as I had taken numerous amounts of breaks inbetween the past four months working on this chapter and my writing may have taken a dive in quality. As for Madrazo, I wanted show as much of his character as posible as shown in GTA V. Ortega, I had the same intentions, but to show a side to the war between the Aztecas and Marabunta (And shoutout to Zilla 2000 for helping me out on this one). Francisco's deep mistrust of cartels run really deep within him, but given the circumstances in the story, he'll have to reluctantly work for him as Madrazo is less worse than the cartels south of the border.
As for Carla O'Dell being introduced into the story, I know all of you will ask me in your reviews what will she bring to the table in this story and why I introduced her. I will say that she has ulterior motives for joining our crew of grey, moral-laden friends here. All of that will be revealed in a later chapter as time goes on. What I might do with the story is perform a time jump since I'd REALLY like to get to the Heists scenario sometime soon. As for the cast of characters, I will remind you all once more that some of them won't remain in the story forever. Others will die, some will leave to leave normal lives (pls keep that in mind). I'd like to thank you all for being so patient with my slow as fuck ass. The next chapter should come within early to mid summertime as I'll be on vacation in June. Thank you all. -Tom The Author.