"Come again?" Niko released his hold of her and nodded to Bernie to lower his weapon. He didn't want to believe what he had just heard.
'If… No. There is no way.'
"A van was found a street over from the McReary brownstone. Total bloodbath." Avia retracted her blade and tucked it back into her jacket pocket. She glared at Bernie upset that she hadn't anticipated his approach or that she had not heard a single sound. It was troubling to say the least. But the soft, almost disbelief in Niko's voice caused her to turn to look at him, eyebrows drawn down in a suspicious manner.
"Florian take Kate and Mallorie to your place or Roman's house, whichever you think you can defend the best. Do not leave. Do not let them out of your sight." Niko spoke quickly to Bernie in Serbian and tucked his pistol back into his waistband. If Kenny found out and took it as if the McReary's did the deed, or someone on their turf did because Bobby had been a friend at one point in time- He didn't want to think too hard on how bad the retaliation would be. Lenny's death and aftermath flashed across his mind, and he slightly shook himself to stop the spiral.
"Niko? How bad?" Bernie only lowered his weapon enough to keep it from being seen by people jogging by.
"If freckle face managed to take out an entire team of top tier men in Kenny's crew, we are in some serious trouble. And not just from him." Niko sighed heavily and took a long hard look at Kate who was standing in front of Mallorie, who had taken up residence on the park bench again. They looked so at ease, at peace, that it broke his heart. He knew what he had to do, and he prayed forgiveness would be waiting for him. He wasn't meant to be free from the killing just yet.
"Call with an update when you can. I will take them to safety." Bernie shoved his pistol back into the inside pocket of his windbreaker and turned on his heel toward Kate and Mallorie, not once acknowledging the detective that kept looking between them bewildered.
"Shield and sword I'm afraid." Niko called toward his retreating form. His nerves tingled in his hands at having to ask such a favor from his friend again.
"An oath is an oath. Think nothing of it." Came his reply over his shoulder before turning on his joyful voice and asking if Mal and Kate wanted to get out of the cold and maybe get something to eat. Mallorie nearly jumped at the opportunity to get some food, while Kate's head snapped in Niko's direction.
The look of fear from her was rapidly replaced with one of dejected understanding. Kate knew and Niko couldn't take the silent words he figured she was saying over and over in her head.
'You promised…'
"Show me. Now." Niko dropped his voice and focused his attention back on the detective in front of him. He would explain to Kate later what was going on. That there was not another way or choice in the matter.
"Not possible. The crime scene has already been processed and moved. Can't have a gruesome scene out on the streets for the public to see. Not so soon after everything else that's happened. The less the public panics or thinks we can't handle things, the better." She flinched when Niko grabbed her arm and started to direct her back up the path to the street along the west side of Middle Park, "But! I have photos!"
Niko released his hold and only stared at her as she stood dumbfounded and completely at a loss for what was going on. Did she not realize the gravity of the situation?
"In my bag! I was at the scene before coming to Bernie's class. I was going to start my report once I got into the office-"
Niko picked up her duffle bag and grabbed her forearm once more, tugging her toward the street and where he assumed she had a vehicle. Hopefully some kind of police cruiser or registered government vehicle that would allow them to break traffic laws and get where he needed to go without trouble. "Look you are going to need to do exactly what I say, or a lot of people are going to get hurt or killed. Do you have a car?"
"Yeah. Unmarked cruiser. Two down from the lamppost over there." His tone was not one she felt she could ignore or refuse. The absolute authority he carried sent a small shiver of fear down her spine. Not even her own father could scare her like that. And he struck fear into everyone.
"We need to get to Francis now. Can you drive?" He flicked his eyes to her to get his point across before going back to surveying his surroundings. It was only a matter of time before Kenny heard the news and would be sending people after everyone who had last seen his men alive.
"I- yes." She nodded once sharply and jerked from his grasp, understanding now. Things were about to go down. She pulled her keys from her pocket and picked up her pace, waving Niko on once she unlocked the car. If she was wanting to get closer to her revenge, maybe this was a step in the right direction. Plus, her duty to protect the innocent people of the city also tugged at her heart. Another public shootout wasn't a pleasant thought.
"Good." Niko didn't like putting her in control of the situation, but he needed to make some calls and get people into position, and fast. Kenny was not forgiving, and after last night? With the relationships and agreements so new and fragile? That was a hard nope. There would be no going back if things were not corrected and fixed- and preferably without Kenny having to lift a finger. That much he knew.
Silently Avia lowered into the car and started the engine. She would keep quiet and listen. Maybe she would be able to start putting two and two together soon and figure out who she needed to be on the lookout for. Which brought up a decent question in her mind, "Who would we run into trouble with on the way to the hospital? Russians? Albanians? Or someone else? Just so I know if a certain vehicle starts to tail us or takes a turn too quickly, I can be ready."
"At this point anyone. Go." Niko dropped the duffle bag to the floorboard and pulled his cellphone out. He scrolled through his contacts to get to Gerry's name. If she knew about Jason, then it wouldn't be completely out of the realm of possibility she knew Gerry was alive and well. And at this point he needed to confirm a few things. The car pulled away from the sidewalk and he checked traffic for anyone else that may have pulled out of a parking spot just behind them.
"You said you have photos?" Niko watched the side mirror for a second more before turning to look at his partner for the time being.
"Camera in the bag. Should be the most recent photos on the digital card." She switched lanes and watched traffic to see if anyone else did the same maneuver. She would keep her path indirect, but quick, and lose whoever decided to follow them.
Niko reached down and lifted the bag into his lap, rapidly unzipping it to find the camera. A large black camera and several lens attachments were thrown into the bag. He went to grab the camera when he saw a plastic evidence bag underneath the equipment, with a certain type of serrated blade. The handle an exact match to the one that was found in the dead hacker and the one that had been thrown into Ron. He paused for only a moment before lifting the camera out.
'Don't give too much away'
He turned the camera on and pressed the gallery button to start looking at the photos, immediately dialing Gerry on his phone. It only rang once before it connected.
"Rather early call-"
"Did Bobby leave the house alive and coherent?" Niko cut him off. The photos were making his stomach churn. Either Bobby was way more skilled than he believed, or someone had come to his rescue. Either way this was one person he didn't look forward going toe to toe with.
"What? What is this about?"
"No time. Answer the question. Did. He. Walk. Out?" Niko paused on one image of the main interrogator. His throat was slashed so deeply that death would have been almost instant. It took strength and skill to get that done just right and with four other people in the small interior of the van? Even he didn't think he'd be able to complete that move, unless that was the last man standing.
"Uhhh. Yeah. He walked out. Flanked by a crew from Kenny. In handcuffs, looking worse for wear. I watched as they loaded him into the back of a black cargo van."
Niko scrolled a couple of images to see the exterior of the van and sure enough it was an unmarked, black, typical cargo van. No distinguishing features: would be easy to blend in with traffic and not raise any questions. It was what he had seen at various locations when he went on jobs against Kenny back when he worked for Mikhail. He tapped his thumb against the camera and felt his stomach drop.
"Lock the house down. Kenny's men are dead, and Bobby wasn't one of the discovered bodies. I'll call back with info as soon as I get it." Niko ended the call abruptly and scrolled down to Gordon's name and pressed the call button.
"Fuck" Niko swore under his breath in Russian, wishing things would just stop being so messed up constantly.
"My Russian isn't perfect, and I only know so many words… Do I need to get NOOSE on the line?" Avia changed lanes again and watched the other cars around them. So far no one seemed to be tailing them or following. And even the street corners seemed vacant. An odd scene for almost 1000 on a Tuesday morning. The realization that the city wasn't bustling where they were at set her nerves on high alert.
"No." Niko answered her and waited for Gordon to answer over the phone. He was his only connection to Kenny. He didn't have the powerful man's number, nor did he really want to have it, but now he was wishing he had a way to talk to him. Maybe avoid any more death. Clear Gerry and his name before the entire criminal underworld went on a killing spree.
"Hey man! What's up?" Gordon sounded slightly asleep over the line.
"How quickly can you get to the McReary's?" Niko checked his passenger window before going back to the images on the camera. None of it looked sloppy. Everything had a purpose from his observation. Like a sanctioned hit- as if it was meant to be…
"Ten minutes. What are we looking at?" Gordon had gone serious, and Niko appreciated the alertness he had.
"Something really bad. Can you reach Kenny?" Niko paused as he noticed the driver had been choked out, not shot. So, either Bobby had done all this on his own, or there was a spy within Kenny's group. Unlikely, but not completely out of the question. People changed sides all the time when it came to power, protection, and money. Kenny had said something alone those lines to him outside of the McReary home.
"I can… But Niko? He should be on his flight back. I don't know if the call with go through. Just…" There was a heavy sigh and some rustling as if Gordon was getting up out of bed, "What do I need to tell him? And do I need to go underground?"
"His lead interrogator and hitmen were killed this morning. I think Bobby did it. Or he had some serious help. Feels like a planned out attack." Niko scrolled back to the first image and zoomed in on the open doors to see if it looked like they were pried open or if they had been opened from within.
"Fuck. Yeah, I'll call and tell them we had nothing to do with it. On my way to the house. Should I call the guys too?" It sounded like he was up and moving around quickly. The sound of a gun being loaded echoed over the line.
"As many as you can get that you trust with complete confidence." Niko dropped his head back against the headrest and tried to keep calm. He didn't want to give the impression that the McReary's had done it, but he also didn't want to leave Patrick and Gerry unprotected.
"On it. I'll let you know if I make contact." Gordon ended the call.
Niko immediately found Packie's number and pressed send, praying things wouldn't be too awkward or strained between them after how they parted ways last night. Between the deep emotional cuts from Bobby to Packie finding him making out with his sister. Things were probably not in the best place between them right now.
"Don't feel like talking right now man. Call back later." Packie's agitated voice spoke over the connected call.
"I'm sorry. But you need to be ready for an attack. Kenny lost a crew not far from your-" The line was cut off.
"Patrick?!" Niko removed the phone from his ear and glared at the call ended message. That was a new one for him. Since when did one of his close friends end a call and not care? He thought he was closer to him than that! Maybe he was thinking wrong?
"What's going on?" Avia took a chance to look at Niko before going back to the surrounding streets. They were almost to the hospital. His phone calls had seemed like a call to arms rather than a warning. She was starting to wonder if maybe she had placed her trust into the wrong person. That maybe Ron was incorrect about the man who sat in the passenger seat of her LCPD issued car.
"Nothing. One second." Niko scrolled through his list of known people before landing on Jacob. His finger hovered over the contact. Would he be able to help if he had never seen his face? Would a name be enough? If this man was smart enough, he wouldn't be giving his name away to anyone, and would be trying to hide as soon as possible. Maybe Dwayne would help? But the same situation presented itself. They needed a face to go off of.
His phone started ringing in his hand and he saw Kate's name flashing. He sent it to voicemail. He needed to focus and make sure Francis was safe and wouldn't tell their secret if tortured. He highly doubted that he could hold out against any form of physical pain before breaking. And the last thing he needed right now was Kate telling him to give up this line of thinking and calm down. No. He needed to find Bobby and end him before he killed someone they cared for or made matters worse for her family.
The killer inside him needed out and he wasn't about to hold back.
"We are almost there. Are you sure I shouldn't get NOOSE on alert for the hospital?" Avia shifted her gaze to Niko again before turning into the parking garage of the hospital.
"If you think LCPD is behind the attack on Ron, why call in NOOSE?" Niko glared at her out of the corner of his eye before tucking his phone away, "Right now I'm not sure who to trust in LCPD, FIB, IAA, or even my own personal circle. All I know is we have someone out there wanting to mess things up in the absolute worst way. If that means killing a cop, mob members, shaking up truces- they will not hesitate."
"Understood. Close to the vest, yes?" She wheeled the car down to a lower level of the parking garage at the hospital and found a spot not surrounded by other vehicles. Silently she put the car in park and turned the ignition off. She took a deep breath and focused on the male in the passenger seat. He looked tense but had a weird sense of calm and readiness about him. Like he knew he was walking into a trap. That he had done this a million times before and knew what to expect.
"Do you have extra ammo? I don't want to think we will be ambushed, but at this point, things are so unknown, I don't know what to expect." Niko scanned his eyes around the other parked vehicles and checked for people or movement. He didn't want to think Kenny knew just yet, or if he did, he wouldn't retaliate so soon. Especially after having given up Robert as the rat. Kenny knew that info, had told everyone about it, and then sent his own men to take care of it. It made no sense to him to have his own men killed.
"I have an extra mag for my own pistol, but that is it. I don't normally carry more unless I know I will be on a job site. And while yes, I was at a crime scene this morning, it was not an active threat." She opened the center console and pulled out a fully loaded magazine for her pistol and tucked it into her jacket pocket, "But I assume the other officers, who are in combat suits, will have extra ammo if needed."
"That's what I am afraid of." Niko huffed out a breath and dropped the camera back into the bag, closing it quickly, "We need to make sure Francis is secure. He will be just as big of a target as anyone else. Especially if he is to take Mitt's place."
"Right. Well. At least I know you are a decent shot and won't hit my six." She smirked at him before opening the door and exiting the vehicle. The cool air of the garage did nothing to help settle her nerves as the mysterious man exited her vehicle and rolled his eyes before once more checking their surroundings. She followed suit and placed her hand to her holstered handgun. Protocol wouldn't let her pull her weapon unless there was a known threat, and while she thought there was one, no one else did.
Niko yanked the duffle bag from the car and threw the strap over his shoulder. He was not about to leave incriminating evidence in a vehicle for someone to take. This was too important to leave out in the open. He spotted a couple of undercover cop cars parked a row over and wondered if breaking into them would give him a shotgun or assault rifle. It would be a better weapon than the handguns he had on hand.
"Don't. Those won't have a weapon's stash. It's stupid, but only marked cars have extra guns locked and loaded. We have what we have. Let's get to the Deputy and check in." Avia spoke softly and crouched down as she moved between vehicles to the elevator and staircase shaft that led to the upper levels. She had seen him eyeing the other police cars and figured he was wanting a secondary weapon of some kind. 'But isn't he just a walking weapon himself?'
"There is another staircase that leads right to the floor we need. But we need a keycard to get onto the floor." Niko hurried his steps to close the distance and motioned over to the metal door that he had used several times over the past few months.
"Leave that to me. I can bypass it." She half smiled at Niko before rushing over to the metal push door. She could follow his lead till it got them into trouble, then she would take over. It was, however, increasingly interesting to see how he worked while in the field. If this is what Ron saw and admired. Or if this was a more cautious and reserved side.
"Okay." Niko followed her form and kept his eyes sharp for any movement or person that might be alerted to their presence. He didn't want to think they'd come for Francis, but with the new title about to be dropped before him, he didn't want to run the risk of him being beaten to give the truth about Derrick's death. Out of all the darkness and sins he had committed, the last thing he needed was that one to become known.
They entered the darkened staircase and drew their weapons almost at the same time, glancing at one another to determine who would lead. Niko stepped ahead of her and patted her shoulder letting her know what his blind spot would be. They had similar training, at contrasting times, in different years, in vastly different countries, but the basics were the same. They would cover each other's openings and know where to move next. Constantly vigilant, always moving, and never leaving the other exposed to attack.
She turned and pressed her shoulder to his own and followed him up the steps checking corners and angles as he moved the other direction. It was refreshing to feel so at home with the movements, but at the same time, it felt so completely wrong. Would she really be able to shoot her own fellow officers if it came to it? Could she kill Ron if he betrayed her? The thoughts kept darkening as they ascended the steps up to the ICU level.
"You can bypass a keycard?" Niko whispered as they got to the second level. He had felt a weird sense of knowing having her tail him and watch his back the same way Bernie or any of his other comrades would have. It was a raw reminder that he had once relied on so many others to get through danger... And how that number was dwindling down year after year.
"Yes." She pulled her duffle bag around from Niko's other side to his back and dug out a handheld thick device and a blank keycard, holstering her handgun. Immediately she pulled her knife out and popped the interface off the wall scanner and started to hook up various wires to the wall and her device, "Give me a minute or two to break the frequency, and we should be in." She tilted her head to the side to get him to take up watch and went back to deciphering the signals that her device was giving her.
"That standard LCPD stuff?" Niko turned enough to cover her should someone from above or below find them. He'd be able to shoot before dragging her back into cover. The whole situation was suspiciously close to the one he found himself in with Karen only a few months prior. Only this time he felt more confident in doing what needed to be done. He was more aware of what was going on. Last time he wasn't ready for the ambush. Now?
'They wouldn't dare.'
"Seriously? Please. This is my own." She rolled her eyes and swiped the blank card against the flat surface and a positive beeping trilled before the sure sound of the metal lock de-latching sounded. She quickly reattached the scanner to the wall and tucked her device back into her bag, standing upright quickly and placing her hand over her holstered her pistol, "Hide your weapon. First sign of trouble and the guards on duty will freak."
"They tend to be trigger happy now a days." Niko clicked the safety on to his pistol and placed it back into the normal resting place. Silently he watched as she tugged the door open and checked the hallway before opening the door fully. She stood taller and marched into the brightly lit path as if she wasn't to be messed with. Her level of bravado made him want to snort, but he knew better. This was an act, one he needed to follow, lest they be found doing something sketchy.
They made a beeline right for Francis' ICU room. The guard on duty recognized her almost immediately and went to open the door for her as she pulled her badge free. She lifted an eyebrow at the gesture and scoffed as she brushed past him. Niko could only trail behind her unsure of what was her typical act or not. He didn't know her well enough to know if she treated everyone with the brash attitude or not.
"Detective Rosen! What a- Niko?!" Francis was in the middle of lifting up his bed more, laptop open on his lap, when he spotted his sister's boyfriend walking in.
"Shut the door and make sure it's locked, if that's possible." Niko spoke as he walked over to the side of the bed by the window, pulling the blinds closed tightly, but not before checking the nearest rooftops and windows for snipers.
"They don't. It's a hospital, but I can put this cart in front of the door. Will give us maybe a few seconds." Avia wheeled over the nurses cart to in front of the door and locked the wheels into place.
"And since when do you two get along?!" Francis' voice rose an octave and he sent Niko a rather scathing look.
"Since we found out someone killed Kenny's men close to your brother's place." Niko sighed, dispensed the duffle bag onto the bed at Francis' feet, and dropped down onto the uncomfortable couch, making sure his head was not within the window range, "I am going to ask you this once, and I need a straight answer, do you know a Robert Welsh?" He scrubbed his hands over his face and glared over to the man that had forced him to kill Derrick.
"The name doesn't ring any bells. Why?" Francis looked between Niko and his detective and lowered the screen to his laptop. Just what were they getting at? And why were they both in his room looking like they were ready to start shooting people?
"He would've been Patrick and Kate's friend. Possibly Gerry's as well. His dad was friends with yours." Niko glanced to Avia as she pulled a pad and pen out to jot the name down.
"I was well out of the house before they were old enough to have friends over or go to someone else's house. Here." Francis shifted his laptop toward Ron's partner to let her search their database.
"I believe he just killed a crew of Kenny's top men, while after being in custody at your brother's house." Niko closed his hands into fists and rested his chin on them. He prayed there was some kind of criminal activity on this guy in order to put out a BOLO or some kind of alert to Liberty City. It may not slow him down completely, but it would make it more difficult for him to move around more freely.
"I have nothing in LCPD database. I have a father by the name of Joseph Welsh, but he died ten years ago. Drug overdose. But nothing on his kid or his widowed wife." She handed the laptop back to Francis and leaned against the wall clearly frustrated with the results.
"If this is about my brother, then why are you two here?! And not protecting him or my sister?" He glared at his detective and Niko. Just what were they doing, looking on edge, in his hospital room if the real danger was someplace else? He was well protected here at the hospital with an entire unit of NOOSE patrolling the halls.
"Because if my suspicions are correct, this is the same person that attacked Ron and I on the rooftop, as well as confronted Kate." Niko watched as Avia straightened up off the wall and gave him a scared look before going blank. She took a half step toward the door before stopping and turning around to Francis for direction.
"Go protect your partner. If he is okay, come back in to report on what's going on." Francis waved her off and watched as she moved the cart out of the way and yanked the door open, closing it behind her quickly, "Niko? You have proof this guy killed Kenny's men?"
"Here." Niko shifted forward and unzipped the duffle bag, handing Francis the large camera, "It's rather gruesome. Even for my standards."
"What? Worse than what you did to the asshole in the bathroom at Ma's place?" He took the camera and went to look at the captured images, frowning as the bloody pictures kept getting more violent in nature as he went, "Yeah alright. This is worse."
"And the worst part? If this is our guy? Then he killed the computer hacker, knows our secrets, and is taking his time to strike." Niko sunk down further on the couch and glared up at the ceiling. He had been working toward that point in his mind but didn't want to believe it or admit it. He didn't want to think that was the person responsible for it all. There had to be someone else working behind the scenes.
"Okay let's think this thing through. Why would a childhood friend of my siblings come back to attack us?" He frowned at the photos before pulling his laptop to him and running his own clearance search for the name. Maybe his higher credentials would pull something up.
"From my understanding, he wanted to date Kate back then." Niko scoffed and felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. A text from Kate showed up and he ignored it, tucking the phone back into his pocket. He didn't need her worrying over his speculation right now. And she would feel even worse if he told her Bobby was the one responsible for almost killing him and hurting Ron. He didn't want to cause her any undo pain.
"Well Gerry took care of every possible suitor when she was in school- here he is! Juvie record. It's sealed but I can get it unlocked. Carjacking and joy riding. This the guy?" Francis turned the laptop in Niko's direction and waited to see if he recognized the younger picture of the guy that could have taken out Kenny's men. He didn't know the kid, but then again, he didn't really keep up with his younger siblings circle of friends.
A confident side smirk freckled covered face graced the screen, and in an instant Niko knew that was the same person. The coldness in his eyes was missing, but that would take years to develop. Or some kind of incident to turn someone into a cold blooded killer. The look he had given Niko up in Derrick's old bedroom had nearly been identical to Natalya. A chill settled over him and he glanced up to Francis before trying to see if there was any typed information on the screen about Bobby. Like a last known address in Liberty.
"Yeah, that's the guy. Much older now. But the crooked nose is the same." Niko reached into his pocket and removed his cell phone, snapping a picture of the image from the laptop. Silently he sent it to Little Jacob and Dwayne asking them to start looking for a Robert Welsh and to keep their guards up. And to also avoid upsetting Russian territory. Best to avoid any unwarranted conflict. He also warned them that Robert was extremely dangerous and not to be taken lightly.
"According to the file he left Liberty shortly after this arrest with his mother. But after this arrest there is absolutely no info on him or his family. He's a ghost here on our end. Niko? It's not making any sense to me. Most people wouldn't go against my Pa. If his dad was a family friend, then there is a zero chance he would dare to hurt our family. I may not have given a shit about the family business growing up, but even I know Pa's reputation. Hell, I got out of there the first chance I got." Francis shifted the laptop back to him and sighed heavily. He tried to think back and place Robert's face to any number of people he had seen over the years come and go from the house.
"That was in the past. People change. He could be working for any number of people out west. I don't know anything about Los Santos, but I hear it's no different than here." He glanced at the confirmation texts he received from Jacob and Dwayne. It was a relief to know there would at least be eyes and ears out on the streets now.
The door opened quickly, and Avia ducked inside looking kind of winded, "He is awake and doing better. I ran down to the security check in point to make sure everyone reported correctly and on time."
"That's excellent work." Francis waved her in, "This is our guy, granted he will be several years older looking now."
Quickly she approached the bed and leaned down to get a better look at the younger version of Bobby. Her eyes scanned every detail, and she typed a couple of things on the laptop in order to get the file sent to her private email. Work email would raise too many flags. The Deputy's account had certain benefits, one being no one checked where he sent info, unless it was on a high priority target.
"I should start searching for him. Get him into custody." She stood up from the bed and met Niko's stare.
"Detective I will only give you this one warning, do not go rouge. Pass everything through me before doing anything crazy. Catch him in a crime, otherwise his arrest won't stick. You know this. We have no legal proof he was the one who murdered all those men in the van. And it puts Niko in a rather incriminating position if he has to testify that he knew Robert was in the back of the van. Let's be smart here." Francis looked between the two in his hospital room and felt rather out of place.
"Agreed Deputy Commissioner. This should stay between us three. I will have my full report on the murders in your email account by end of day." She moved to the end of the bed and picked up her duffle bag, holding her hand out for the camera.
"Can you give me a ride back to my apartment?" Niko stood up from the couch and watched as Francis passed the camera off.
"Of course. Is it on the way down into Suffolk?" She flung the strap over her shoulder and adjusted it to lay right.
"Middle Park East." Niko moved the blinds out of the way to check the rooftops one last time. He didn't feel right leaving Francis, but he had one more thing he needed to do in order to know what to do next. A certain briefcase in his apartment was calling his name.
"Detective can you give Niko and I a moment before you leave? Won't take long." Francis spoke up and returned the nod when she gave him one and exited the room quickly. "Who all knows?"
"Right now, LCPD can't be trusted. Don't tell Mitt." Niko moved closer to the bed, "I don't want to leave you completely defenseless, so here." He removed his backup pistol from inside his jacket and held it out for Francis to take, pulling the slide back to make sure a round was seated and ready to go.
"Oh, so we've gone to that level of understanding?" Francis wanted to crack a joke, but with the serious stare he got, he only swallowed thickly and took the outstretched pistol. "I will do what I can from my end and stay safe. Take care of my family Niko. Please."
Gerry had said something along the same lines while in prison and it rubbed a couple of nerves the wrong way.
"Nothing will happen to them so long as I am alive." With that Niko moved out into the hallway and fell in step with Avia as they walked back down to the staircase that led down to the parking garage. Francis would be alright for the time being. He had to believe that.
"I have contacts within a bratva." Her Russian wasn't the best, but she would speak in a language they both knew that other people within the hall wouldn't be able to pick up on.
"Don't go asking questions where questions don't need to be asked. You go poking around and it will tip someone off." Niko responded and shoved the metal door open for her, letting her enter first. He glanced back down the hall at all the men standing guard and watched as they all went back to watching the other people walking about. No one would be dumb enough to take out the soon to be Commissioner.
"Okay I maybe got half of that, slow down a touch." She looked up the steps before leaning over the railing to glance down to the ground floor.
"If you ask the wrong questions someone will know something isn't right. Wait to contact your people." He took the steps down the stairs quickly wanting to get back to his apartment to find the briefcase Bernard had left him. There had to be something of value in there. Something that could be his 'get out of jail free' card.
"Good idea." She let the conversation die and followed after him deep in thought. She at least had a face and a name to her revenge. There were a couple of places she knew wanted men went to hide within in the city. She could probably go looking once her report was completed, and still have time to go on patrol.
"And before you hunt this guy down, we still don't know with one hundred percent certainty he is the one who attacked Ron. I can say he most likely fought his way out of the van." Niko could almost hear her thoughts going into overdrive when she went silent. Had he been in this situation ten years ago he would be on the same thought process. Find the bastard and kill them, slowly, painfully, and enjoy every second of it. He felt his phone vibrate again in his pocket and he did his best to ignore it. Kate would need to wait till he was alone and could speak freely.
"Still murdered Kenny's men. Or so we assume." She huffed as they reached the ground floor and exited back into the parking garage.
"Even then... Too much is unknown." He didn't like not having the right answers, or any confident ones. It was beyond frustrating, but he needed to be careful. The last thing he needed was to end up back in the game and causing people to take sides on his behalf. He was already risking it getting Little Jacob and Dwayne involved. He had said he was done with this life to every major head of different organizations. Told Kenny no. Gerry no. Roy no. And now here he was running around trying to keep the peace.
"Here. Put your number in my phone. I will keep you updated, and you can do the same. At least I know you and I want the same thing here. To get this guy off the streets." She held her phone out to him as they got close to her car.
"Don't touch the car." Niko pulled her back a couple of steps. The front driver door was slightly ajar, and the inside lights were on. It looked as if someone jimmied it open and didn't shut it completely. He scanned over the other doors and gas cap opening for wires and didn't see anything.
"Someone wouldn't dare..." Her heart rate skyrocketed, and she looked around the garage to see if someone was on the lookout for them, waiting for them to get close in order to set off a bomb or get pictures of them.
"They blew up an entire apartment unit. I think they are past caring at this point." He crouched down to look for C4 or whatever it was that Derrick called it. PE4. Or something like that. He frowned at the thought of the McReary brother. There was nothing to indicate the car was set to explode, "Did you lock it when we got here?" He looked up to see her scanning the other cars around them, hand on her gun, ready to pull it should she need to.
"I always do." She moved to his side and yanked on the back passenger door handle. The door didn't budge, and the lock was still in the down position from the inside.
"Then someone was looking for your duffle bag." Niko pulled on his door, and it opened immediately, "I think someone wants whatever evidence you have on you."
"The photos? I wasn't the only one taking pictures." She moved back to the driver side and got into the car, trying to act as if nothing was wrong or bothering her. But someone had broken into her car. It was upsetting to say the least. She hauled her duffle bag around her and placed it down in the backset, close to the center console. Her eyes felt glued to the zippered closure. There had been other things at the crime scene that warranted further inspection.
"That's not everything and you know it." Niko joined her in the car and waited for her to cut the crap. He had seen the knife in the bag and was now glad he had half a mind to bring it with him into the hospital. They could have lost the one damning piece of evidence that tied Bobby to the murders.
"Okay. Fine. I wanted to run it for prints and put them up against the other ones I have off the other two knives. I got zero prints off of the one that stabbed Ron. And I got red flagged by Interpol on the set from the one found inside the apartment unit. I need higher clearance to get the identity for the prints apparently." She started the car and backed out of the parking spot. She didn't like knowing he had seen the blade, but at this point who else could she trust? Someone had broken into her car and was looking for it.
The thought it might be her fellow officers made her blood run cold. How could the people she worked with every day do something like this?
"Interesting." Niko scratched along his jaw and watched the other cars they passed. He had hoped Darko wouldn't be active or messing with anyone, but who else would have known about the hacker and wanted to kill them? Darko carried the same war criminal status he had once held. Of course, Bernard had buried his charges and gotten him citizenship. Darko was still wanted by several countries overseas and would definitely alert other agencies if his prints were located.
There was no safety net for Darko, and as soon as he was found alive, he'd be dragged back to Serbia. To stand whatever trial they had waiting, with no one to help him. He would be left to defend himself. Hung out to dry.
Niko wasn't sure what to feel about those thoughts. And he frowned at the way his heart and mind kept going at each other. He knew Kate's answer, but he didn't exactly like it. He shouldn't care what befell toward Darko. After so many years it was rather fitting he got what was coming. But…
'He had saved Kate…'
"Point me toward your apartment. I need to get some things done for work before someone decides to remove me from the case." She rolled her eyes as she bitterly thought about Mitt pulling her from the case and burying her in paperwork or other smaller crimes. It would pretty much prove Mitt knew things and was aware of her involvement with Niko and his group of friends.
"Head toward Middle Park and I'll guide you from there." Niko pointed down a major corridor street and glued his eyes to the road and other vehicles. His thoughts didn't want to leave him alone about Darko and how he might have gone after the rest of the Rascalov gang. But why would he? There was no reason for him to seek them out and kill them. He was free to leave and disappear.
Avia opened her mouth and the immediately snapped it closed. Her own thought process was getting away from her and she felt like filling the silence with her suggestions. It was better than the heavy, slightly awkward quietness that took up all the space in the car, "Look. It's not my place anymore- since everything just changed, but-"
"The party?" Niko could take a wild guess at what she was getting at. There was a complete zero chance Bobby would even try to show his face there. Not after making a massive hit against Kenny. It was just another thing that was getting piled on his vastly expanding list of things to handle.
"You said it yourself. There could be other players or someone helping him. We don't know them. So, they could potentially be in attendance." Avia changed lanes and looked to him for direction, taking the street he indicated to. Her fingers drummed against the sterling wheel as a way to keep herself focused.
"Yes, but that puts more people at risk. Shouldn't we be limiting risk?" Niko felt his phone go off again and removed it from his pocket. Kate's name flashed as the caller, and he sent it to voicemail. 'Just give me more time and I'll explain what I can… Promise.'
"I'm no expert, but you should probably tell her something. Otherwise, she will only think the worst and keep calling." She refused to look for his reaction to her words and took in a long breath, "And while yes, it is a risk, it could be a chance to find his handler."
"Handler?" Niko ignored her jab at this relationship. He would talk to Kate without prying ears.
"You really think someone like Robert is on his own without any kind of supervision? This isn't some kind of hell bent mission to get even. It feels more complicated than that." She took the turn when Niko point at the street, avoiding Middle Park traffic.
"That's a good point. He has to have some kind of help. Financial, technical, or someone is here watching his back. You think they might go in his place to the party?" Niko glanced at a text he got from Gordon. Apparently, Kenny was unreachable for the time being, but Gordon would keep trying from his post at the McReary brownstone. It was somewhat of a relief. Maybe Kenny hadn't been informed yet.
"If I was someone's handler that couldn't be seen in public for a month or so, and needed information to keep the plan in motion? Yes. And this party will have too many high up people that information will be free flowing." She glanced at the fancy looking building Niko instructed her to pull up alongside. She put the car into park and waited for his response.
"I guess if they are wanting to shake things up, the best plan for them would be to convince someone to do business with them while surrounded by other's who wish the same." Niko sighed heavily and turned to look at Ron's partner. She was nothing like Francis made her out to be, was rather loyal to herself and Ron, but otherwise was doing things for the noble cause. He could respect that for now.
"Then I will get you the invitation. Take Kate shopping for a long evening gown. She will need to dress the part too. If you need funds, I can get you some. LCPD is in charge of security. IAA and FIB will be assisting but will be protecting their own assets. Can't have their directors and high ranking officers in attendance without some kind of backup. Also…" She sighed heavily and leaned back into her seat, "Come prepared. I don't think anyone will be stupid enough to start shooting. But bring a concealed gun. I'll have a backup rifle or shotgun tucked away for you. I pray Ron will be able to watch my six."
"I will not go anywhere now without some kind of weapon. I had foolishly thought I was done and out. I guess not." Niko went to open the door before her hand landed on his arm, causing him to halt his movements.
"We are never done. You know this. It never goes away. We can only escape in our dreams and even then, those are nightmares. I will protect Francis and Ron. You get Kate someplace safe. Maybe out of the city? If that's possible. Here," She pulled her cellphone out and handed it to him, "Call your cell from my phone so I have your number. I answer day and night."
Niko took her phone and silently typed out his number and called it. He waited till his own phone began ringing and ended the call, "Stay in touch detective." They now had each other's number, and he would update her as he could, with what he deemed was acceptable. For all he knew she had her own angle to play and was using him as a means to an end. Wouldn't be the first time someone involved in law enforcement had played him.
"I am sorry." She released her hold of his arm and watched as he pulled himself out of her car. He turned and lowered down to be able to match her gaze and she swallowed thickly at the look he gave her.
"Do not give me reason to believe you are sorry. My life and choices I make are my own. The consequences will come when they are ready. It's best if you try and not involve yourself in my mess. If you want to keep Ron safe, you two will not bother asking questions. This path I walk has no way off of it. Clearly." Niko sighed and glanced to the backseat where he could spot the duffle bag, "Stop looking into the fingerprints. I have someone on that."
Niko stood upright and closed the door. The cooler air outside was a welcomed relief to the heat he felt weighing him down. Robert was out there and was either going to take everyone down with him, or just wanted the world to burn to ashes. Neither bode well for him and he turned to stalk into his apartment. Tom greeted him merrily and held the door for him. He wanted to return the kind gesture but was too focused on getting up into his unit and finding what Bernard had left him.
The voices that called out to him in greeting from the front desk and other patrons fell on deaf ears. The elevator doors closed off the noise and he was dropped into silence again as the lift took him up to his penthouse. His hands shook and he closed them into fists. Darko, Robert, Bernard, Gerry, Kenny… Kate… Everyone and everything were pulling him in so many directions. He swore off the life of killing and crime.
But it wasn't done with him.
It was a realization that left a bitter aftertaste. If he kept fighting off the monsters long enough, he was bound to become one himself. He lived close call to close call, and it only made him colder, unfeeling. There was no victory without suffering. And he thought his days of suffering were behind him. If he neglected his problems, they would surely kill him; faster than revenge would. Vengeance was slow, but stern. Swift. He needed to end this now.
He didn't want to get lost in the darkness, but maybe it was the only way to get to a life that was full of light.
Even if that meant taking everyone out.
'There may not be a new beginning, but there can be a new way. But only with everyone out of the way… I'm sorry Kate. The only way to give you what you want is through killing and bloodshed.'
The doors dinged softly and slid open for him. With each step, he felt his old habits kicking back to life. Find a weapon, check its ammunition, and tuck it to his person. Guard his blind spots. Check the corners and doors for enemies. Avoid conflict if it could be helped. Take out those that wish to do him harm silently and efficiently. He was trained for this. Raised in it. Robert wouldn't be able to trick him again or play to his softer side.
Even if his softer side was Kate.
She would be kept in the dark about Robert's death. There was no need to give her such grisly details. She also didn't need to know about who Niko was about to ask for help from. Or what that could mean for a future together. There was no such thing as getting out of the game and being done. To ask such a thing was foolish.
He dropped down by the end of their bed and shoved the covers out of the way. The black handle rested against the floorboards looked as innocent as it could. He grasped it and pulled it free from its hiding place. Time to face the music and walk the path one more time.
The clasps clicked loudly as he flipped them open. He hesitated to lift the lid. Just what was left to him from someone high enough in the IAA? Would it be bad? Good? Helpful? Something stupid like 'I gotcha' kind of note. He doubted Bernard was into practical jokes. But at this point he wasn't sure what to expect.
Carefully he felt around the edges for wires or traps. Feeling none, he lifted the lid to see what was left to him. Inside was felt foam, with a cell phone of some kind and a keycard with a physical key. The phone looked smooth with no buttons or keys. Like a miniature screen of a laptop. It confused him as he removed it from its slot. He turned it over several times looking for a way to turn it on or activate it.
Finding none, he set it down on the bed next to the case. The key card and key caught his attention next. Where did this give him access to? He lifted the objects out of their resting place and turned them over a couple of times trying to find a business name or address. It was completely blank and gave him zero clues on where to go next. Then a thought crossed his mind. He pulled out his own knife and pried the foam out from the lining of the briefcase. If Bernard would leave him clues, it wouldn't be obvious.
The foam popped out easily and a piece of paper fluttered to the surface of the bed after being freed.
Niko picked it up and saw an address scrawled onto the paper. It had a Middle Park West address, and after a quick mental note, he realized it was a building over from where Bernie lived. Which is where Bernard stayed while in Liberty. It was too close to their places to be anything other than another safehouse or storage unit. He pocketed the keys and phone and marched into the kitchen to open his laptop. He would do a quick search for the address and see what business was there.
His fingers easily typed out the address and a simple web search led him to an apartment building.
Which was confusing to say the least. He lifted the piece of paper and turned it over to see if anything else was present or could point him in the right direction. He turned it over and saw more handwriting in Serbian.
'Underground parking garage. Use the keycard to get past security. Unit 66. Give the name Florian Brevic. Burn this.'
He reread the directions a second time and looked back to the laptop screen. There was underground parking at this apartment building. There must be storage units or some kind of container there that he was meant to find and open. He deleted his search history and closed out of the internet. Last thing he needed was Kate going through it and finding this location. For all he knew Bernard left him a means to do dirty work… Something he swore he wouldn't do again.
"Okay. Let's go see what you left me." Niko stood up and walked to the elevator doors, grabbing his keys on the way. He pocketed the piece of paper and would burn it later after he figured out just what he was getting into. Maybe it was a black ops sight for the IAA. Or someplace they dumped incriminating evidence. Who knew at this point? Niko waved to the desk receptionist as he passed her toward the exit after exiting the elevator. Tom pulled the door open for him and he nodded to him before making a direct line to his Infernus.
The car roared to life as he started it. He checked traffic and then peeled out toward Middle Park West and where he hoped some answers were waiting for him.
aaaaaa
"Kate. Come on. Eat some of this amazing food Bernie picked up for us. You know you love Galina's cooking." Mallorie spoke up before taking another bite of her breakfast sandwich.
"Seriously love. Niko is fine. He told me he would check in when he could. Something happened last night that puts your brothers in a bad spot. Call them if he won't answer." Bernie was getting more and more concerned with the way Kate kept looking out the windows and checking her phone. He wanted to cringe every time she dialed Niko and was sent right to voicemail. Surely Niko would answer her if he could. Which meant he was either in a fight or super busy. No way he would ignore her like that.
"Say. What are your plans for Valentine's?" Mallorie wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked between her two friends. Kate was glued to the window and kept looking outside, as if in search of someone, while Bernie busied himself in the kitchen with cleaning and putting away their messy dishes.
"At this point Mal I don't know. We were going to have an intimate dinner between the two of us. But if he is out there tracking down people and getting involved with the criminal life, I'm not sure what I am to do. I told him I couldn't be part of that life. That I needed out of it. To be able to be okay with my partner and hopefully get married and have kids one day. I haven't told anyone, but I want to be a mother." Kate sighed not seeing anything out of the ordinary from Bernie's apartment window. She knew it was stupid to keep watch. What was she gonna do? Bernie was more than capable.
"You'd be a great mother, but an even better Aunt to this little one!" Mallorie used the table to help her stand up and slowly made her way over to her friend, "Here. Feel this one kick." She grabbed Kate's hand and placed it against the side of her baby bump. She had been feeling kicks or punches nonstop since getting to Bernie's place. She had been hungry, and now that that need had been settled, her baby seemed adamant about punishing her.
Kate felt a flutter, not a full blown kick or movement, but it was enough to have tears forming. She looked down to where her hand was pressed against her friend's baby. So many emotions wanted to rip her apart. Would Niko ever find the ability to want kids? Or take the chance at marriage? Things she had held off for so long her in heart shredded what was left of her built up walls and washed over her. She wanted love, commitment, kids, a future that extended beyond just her. She wanted to raise kids to know that this world wasn't what she knew it to be.
But…
Niko.
She loved him. There was no denying that bottomless chasm that rested in her heart. Never to be completely filled. She poured herself completely into it and it felt like she'd never reach the top or see the surface of her feelings. Was she drowning? Was she losing herself? Or completely consumed with a love that would keep her constantly full? They were questions she didn't want to face or hear. Her eyes sought out Bernie hoping he'd be able to see the distress building and pull her from the chaos. Mallorie didn't need her jumbled mass of hysteria.
"I think it's a girl. Roman believes it's a boy. I keep refusing to be told. He wants to know now. Maybe a gender reveal party is needed?" Mallorie pulled Kate into a tight hug before releasing her and going off in search of a cinnamon roll or something to fill her craving for sugar.
Bernie approached Kate and used his index finger to lift her chin to see what was going on with her. He watched as she darted her eyes off to the side and fought against the tears that kept building. He recognized the pain of unreturned feelings and dreams. Had it done many a time to him. But he wanted to believe that Niko was just as lost as she was. Trying to find their way back to a path that allowed them to hold hands and walk together.
"You know he loves you, yes?" Bernie spoke softly and ignored Mallorie as she rambled on about how her mother used to make breakfast pastries.
"I want to trust in that. After last night I thought… It's fine Bernie." Kate barely smiled before excusing herself to the bathroom, needing a moment to get herself back together. She would shove it all to the side and barrel though like she always did. It helped her get through Derrick's death and funeral. Carried her through the months that came after getting off of Happiness Island. She was happy with Niko… right?
aaaaaa
Niko pulled into the entrance to the parking garage of the fancy, fortified building, and stopped at the security hut. A heavily armed group of men walked around the open space and looked his way, lifting their assault rifles slightly and sliding their fingers toward the safety switches and triggers. He rolled down his window to talk to the man in the booth and show him the key and card, hoping it would be enough to get past everyone around him.
"Name and unit number?" The man droned on and waited for the response, eyes blankly looking his way.
"Florian Brevic, unit 66." He lifted the keycard to show he had something to gain access. Bernard had definitely picked a rather ridiculous place to hide whatever it was he wanted Niko to find.
"Place the card onto the scanner surface." The man pointed to a large flat pad about door height to the car.
Niko held the card to the surface and watched as a couple of men walked toward the side of his car as if getting into position to shoot him or take him into custody. A chirp sounded from the speaker next to the flat scanner pad and the men stood down immediately, moving away from the driveway toward to the lower levels.
"Take the ramp down to basement level three and it will be on the second row on your right. Take your time. There is no surveillance down there and the security team will only be dispatched if you hit the distress button outside the unit. Will you need a truck or moving team today to withdraw or deposit items into your unit today Mr. Brevic?" The man typed something on his own computer that lowered the solid metal barricade. The grinding noise filled the enclosed space and grated against Niko's ears.
"No. No deposit or withdrawal. Thank you." Niko rolled up his window and waited for the metal poles to completely lower into the cement. Once one of the men waved him on, he gently pulled ahead and took the ramp down to the third level, following the direction of the man at the security hut. The place was semi dark and looked to be massively protected and discrete. So just what was waiting for him once he got to the unit?
His eyes scanned the numbers as he turned down the alley of storage units. Massive roller doors were locked with an assortment of pad locks and keypads. This place was certainly meant to keep things hidden and tucked away. It made him feel beyond uncomfortable as he parked outside unit 66. The large white numbers were painted against the black roller garage style door. He looked through his rearview mirror the see if someone followed him and saw nothing. No other vehicles were parked along the wide and deep roadway. He fingered the key and keycard in his hand and figured he might as well get on with it.
Carefully he exited the Infernus and walked toward the padlock and keypad. He glanced over his shoulder toward the entrance to the driveway as he inserted the key into the lock. The clicksounded loudly in the area and caused him to pause. He didn't want to alert anyone of him being there, but at the same time it appeared no one else was down there with him. He removed the lock from the latch and worked on getting the door ready to be lifted. He scanned the keycard on the device attached to the wall by the lock and listened to the same chirp he heard earlier sound off.
The door somewhat jumped up as if it had been forcefully unlocked. Niko took it as his cue to lift the door up all the way and see what was waiting for him. Lights flickered on inside the unit and revealed three walls of peg boards, covered in an assortment of handguns, rifles, shotguns, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, and knives. He paused at the sheer number of weapons present. Along each wall was a wooden workbench style counter, covered with more weapons and piles of bullet proof vests. It was an entire weapons stash- complete with protective vests, outfits, and holsters.
Silently he entered the unit and halfway closed the door to give himself some form of privacy as he browsed over the types of weapons. To his left was nothing but handguns and submachine guns. Every single version and type he knew existed were hung on the walls, and below the counter of that wall was clear plastic bins, loaded with full magazines. He pulled one of the bins free and opened the top to see that they were double offset stacked, taped to another one, and would be easy to reload and fire. He closed the lid and slid it back into place.
"Just what in the world…" His eyes trailed over the automatic handguns and SMGs to the rifles and long rifles of the back wall. He lifted a mean looking assault rifle off of the peg board and pulled on the firing mechanism. No ammo was loaded, and he flicked the safety off in order to hear and see the firing pin. He pulled the trigger and listened to the rapid clicking. Fully auto and no major delay between rounds. It would drain the typical thirty round mags in seconds. He shook his head and put the weapon back on the wall.
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a large, heavy duty, high caliber sniper resting against the righthand wall. A couple of other smaller, bolt action ones hung below it. But his hands nearly itched to pull the sniper down and take a look. With trained hands he removed the heavy gun and turned it from side to side in his arms, looking at all the places attachments could be placed. The scope had night vision as well as a computer port in order to attach it to some kind of monitor. He wanted to whistle with how advanced the gun was.
It could fit one of the large capacity magazines and would fire off more than five rounds at a time before reloading became an issue. It was fully automatic, and he flicked the switch to semi knowing he was better off pulling the trigger per round than holding it down and letting bullets like that just fly off. He slowly set it down on the wood counter and took a step back to admire it. He would've killed to have something like his back in the war. Would've made his job so much easier. But they had what they had and made do.
He scanned the rest of the wall and wanted to smirk seeing the old soviet rocket launchers and rockets. Bernard had certainly left him with an arsenal to go to war with. But it begged the question on why he felt the need to set this up for him. Or if it was always here for Bernard's use. Maybe it was Karen's for a time? He shook his head and looked under the other counters to see what kind of ammo and supplies waited for him.
A blinking light caught his attention, and he pulled a laptop out from under the righthand wall counter. He placed it on top of the counter before noticing a couple of lock boxes that had been hidden beneath the computer. He grabbed them as well and put them next to the computer and went to work on opening them. The same key that opened the unit door fit into the locks and he opened the first box eagerly.
The lid lifted to reveal a multitude of passports. He lifted up the first one, seeing it was an American one, and nearly balked at seeing his face looking up at him underneath the watermark and seal. The name was made up, so was the birthdate, social security number, and address. He flipped through the pages and saw several stamps to places like Britain, Ireland, France, and Italy. He dropped the fake passport down and picked up the next American one.
Kate's smiling picture greeted him… Except it wasn't her name, birthdate, or address. He never asked her for her social security number, but he assumed it was made up as well. He searched the pages and saw the same country stamps on random pages. It looked used and worn, just like his fake one. He rubbed his fingers along the edges and had to praise the quality of work. It felt like the correct paper weight and thickness. Whoever forged these knew what they were doing.
He placed Kate's down on top of his and lifted the rest of them out of the box. Each one was from another country. Russian, France, Serbia, Spain, Canada, and Israel. All of them were of him, with a different name, date of birth, address… It was crazy how many aliases he had now. Every one of them had various stamps and looked like they had been used and not recently made. It would be beyond convincing to customs anywhere that they were legit. He lifted the Serbian one up to the light and looked for the hidden reflective symbols. The light caught it and he felt his knees weaken. He grabbed the edge of the roller chair and sat down roughly.
He reread the name and date of birth…
Blearily he looked at the image again. It wasn't exactly him, but close enough to be his…
"My brother." Niko stared at his brother's picture and felt hollow. The date of birth, the address- It was where they grew up. He barely recognized his own flesh and blood. It had been so long since he had seen his younger brother. They didn't have a camera growing up and all he had were memories of growing up together. He closed the passport and held it to his chest. He felt weak, hurt, wounded. He sucked in air rapidly and reached out to grip the edge of the counter.
It was like seeing a ghost. Was a ghost. With shaky hands he reopened it and lightly ran his fingers over his brothers smiling, happy face. He had no idea when it was taken. He didn't think his brother ever had his photo taken for a passport. They had a picture taken for their military file. But his brother had lost his life in the Bosnian wars. He wanted to punch something. The memories wanted to overrun him and overtake whatever calculated plan had been forming in his mind.
The laptop gained his attention and he opened it up wondering if there was more information stored there. The screen flickered to life and asked for a fingerprint scan. His eyes scanned the laptop over and saw a bright blue light illuminated near the mousepad. He slid his index finger over it, and it beeped negatively. He tried his thumb and it unlocked immediately. A video conference screen pulled up and showed the top of a desk chair and a semi opened window. The view was one of the beach and ocean in the distance. A couple of buildings were in view, but otherwise Niko couldn't figure out where the video call was connecting him to.
"Shit. Hang on. I'm coming." Bernard's gruff voice sounded over the internal speakers of the laptop. He shuffled over to the chair and sat down, freshly lit cigarette in hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other, "I see you found my gift to you."
"What the actual fuck is this?!" Niko spoke in Serbian and lifted his brother's passport and glared at the image on the screen. His anger felt volatile and dangerous. If his brother were somehow involved with the IAA and was how they knew he was on his way to Liberty, he would absolutely explode.
"Ah. Well. There is no easy way to tell you this. Your bother didn't want to fight for people who didn't care about people's lives. He ran into a local agent. Offered up some info in order to get free. But from what I know, all he wanted was to find you and your mother and get you two out. He promised to give us a major sex trafficker's organization's name and information in exchange for safe passage for him and his family to America. Since he was still enrolled in the army, he was killed in action before he was able to get us that information. Turns out his older brother ended up working for the very organization he planned to turn in." Bernard grew solemn and spoke in Serbian, taking a long drag off his cig once he was done talking. It was just one more secret between them that had been brought to light. One he left for Niko to find.
"Were you involved?" Niko lowered the passport and kept his hand over it as if it were his lifeline to his brother.
"No. I was pulled out of the region before you joined the fighting. But we have people all over the world, listening, watching, and learning. We need to know of threats long before they get here." Bernard tapped his cigarette against an ash tray and looked off to the side, "I wanted you to have his passport. It was all we have of him, and I figured you'd want it. I buried his file and op. No one knows."
"I highly doubt it. Too much is being discovered right now." Niko patted the passport before burying his feelings and sorrow over the loss of his brother.
"I assume that's why you are in my storage unit and activated the laptop." Bernard focused back on the screen and studied his friend, "You don't look too good. What's happening in LC?"
"I need you to tell me everything you know about Robert Welsh." Niko would find the time to mourn and deal with seeing his brother's image later, right now he needed to refocus and get back on track.
"One second." Bernard turned slightly and focused on another screen, typing out the name, and using the mouse to click on a couple of things, "I have a few in the database. How old and in what context? I assume the one that originated from LC is the one you are looking into?" Bernard looked to the camera before going back to the screen.
"Yeah, he would be around Patrick or Kate's age." Niko leaned back into the chair and focused on the screen.
"I have a death certificate for a Robert Welsh. Drive by shooting in South Los Santos. Some kind of turf war. This was last year… Strangely enough it's the exact date that you shot and killed Natalya. I also have a list of minor crimes and run-ins with law enforcement. Nothing major. All small. Juvie record out of Liberty City. Francis was the arresting officer at the station. He didn't catch the kid in the act but signed the affidavit, declaration of facts, to get him placed into custody. That sounding familiar?" Bernard scrolled through the list of crimes and leaned toward the screen to see the text better.
"Sounds about right. Didn't know Francis was his arresting officer. Makes sense on why he tried to kill me and another police officer this morning." Niko crossed his arms and let out a huff, "That death certificate is about to be legitimate."
"You telling me he is alive and operating in LC?" Bernard turned back to the camera with a skeptical look.
"He took out Kenny's men. At least he was last seen with them before they all turned up murdered in one of Kenny's vans. Gruesome too. Shit I would do back in the day." Niko looked off toward the roller door when he heard a loud clang.
Bernard clamped his jaw tightly and drummed his fingers against the top of his desk, "What are we looking at here Niko?"
"Gerry, Kenny, Roy, and Jacob are all in a new friendly table alliance. They got connections in LS somewhere via Johnny. They wanted me to take a seat. I don't want it. But now I kind of do. Maybe it would keep people off my back. Bobby might have killed the last of Natalya's men in order to set me and Francis up. Working theory anyway. Things aren't looking good. Not if I want to stay clean and out of the game." Niko reached for his pistol as he heard another loud bang that seemed to come from outside his unit.
"Give me forty eight hours and I will call you on the burner phone I gave you. It's new tech. Fruit phones. All touch screen and super smart phones. Press and hold the top button to turn it on. This sounds a lot more complicated than it is. People who are declared dead don't just turn up and start trying to kill LCPD and going against the Petrovic family. Keep that phone close. Stay safe Niko. Something doesn't feel right."
Niko nodded to Bernard and watched as the screen went blank. He closed the laptop quickly and shoved it back into the hidden compartment below the counter. He stood up and grabbed one of the rifles off of the wall and loaded a magazine into the chamber. He clicked the safety off and pulled back on the firing mechanism to seat the first round. Crouching down he approached the still somewhat opened roller garage door. He ducked under it and used his car as cover to check down the driveway to see if someone was coming.
A mouse squeaked loudly and scurried off under his car at the sight of him. Niko nearly jumped with the nearness of the rodent. He wanted to give a surprised laugh at having been 'spied on' by a stupid animal. He lowered his gun and entered back into the unit. Bernard had said forty eight hours to check things out on his end. It was concerning that Robert had possibly faked his death, was now working for who knows who, and had powerful friends.
The party might be his only chance at flushing out his connections.
But that meant possibly putting Kate into trouble again. Something he really didn't want to do or risk. It didn't matter than he would have Francis there, his newfound trust in Avia, or any other number of high ranking underground criminals. He had pissed everyone off at some point in time. And while they may have washed their hate off their hands, it wouldn't be hard for them to fall back into it.
He placed the rifle back in its rightful place and decided to open the other lockbox. Stacks of cash in foreign currency greeted him and he thumbed through it. At least a hundred thousand between various currencies rested within the metal box. It would be a decent start of a new life if he had to disappear with Kate. A tempting idea. But one he had tried before by joining the merchant navy and running from his past.
But this time he had weapons, identities for him and Kate, and as he went through the cash, he found another key tapped to a business card. He flipped the card over to read 'T.P.I Trevor Philips Industries'. There was an airstrip, Sandy Shores Airfield, with an address in Sandy Shores, Blaine County, San Andreas. He turned the card back over and realized he held a small airplane key. Bernard had certainly given him the resources to simply up and leave. Start over and live out his American Dream, as some would call it.
He tucked the card and key back into the money box; replaced all the passports into the other box and put them back in their hiding places. He knew where they were, and he would be back if he needed them. His eyes landed back on his brother's passport, and he pocketed it. It would be a way to show Kate what his brother looked like. Maybe soften the blow of him somewhat ignoring her all morning and early afternoon.
He pulled out his phone and dialed her number. It was time to figure out where she was and get them both back to his apartment to talk.
They had much to discuss and figure out now…