Chapter 36: Chasing the Unknown

After the party celebration at Diaz's home, you wake up at your safehouse in the Ocean View Hotel. Next to you are two girls, looking like hookers. Your head throbs, your limbs feel numb, and you don't remember much about last night. One of the girls stirs and giggles, "Last night was the best, daddy..."

As you groggily sit up, you notice a small device on the table. It's sleek, looks like a USB stick, but without any visible input side. You have no memory of where it came from. The other girl yawns and says, "You were quite the charmer last night. Some guy handed you that device and said it's your next big opportunity."

You rub your temples, trying to piece together the fragmented memories of the night before. Just as you're about to ask the girls for more details, the shrill sound of sirens pierces through your headache. You hear the screech of tires and the unmistakable sound of police radios.

The girls panic, their eyes wide with fear. "Daddy, what's going on? Are we in trouble?" one of them cries out.

You quickly scramble to your feet, your mind racing. You grab the device, feeling its weight. A hunch tells you the police are here for this, and you can't afford to lose it. "Stay here and keep quiet," you order the girls. "I'll handle this."

With the device in hand, you make your way through the back corridors of the hotel, avoiding the main exits. The sound of sirens is getting louder, and you know the cops are closing in. You find a service exit and slip out into the alley behind the hotel.

Just as you thought you were in the clear, a police car screeches to a halt at the alley entrance. "There he is!" an officer shouts.

You dart down the alley, your heart pounding. You can hear the police in pursuit, their heavy footsteps echoing off the walls. You need to get to your storage where the Cuban Hermes is, but as you round the corner, you spot a Sanchez motorbike parked nearby. It's your best chance for a quick escape.

You jump on the bike, kicking it to life. The engine roars, and you speed out of the alley just as the cops round the corner. The chase is on.

You weave through the streets of Vice City, the police hot on your tail. The sirens blare, the red and blue lights flashing in your rearview mirror. You don't have time to wait at red lights; you're on the run, dodging through traffic and taking sharp turns to lose your pursuers.

As you ride, you glance down at the device. It's sleek and metallic, looking like a USB stick, but there's no visible input side. You don't know how to open it or what it contains, but you know it's important. Whoever gave it to you must have had a reason.

The police are relentless, their cars swerving to block your path. You narrowly avoid a collision, the bike skidding as you make a sharp turn into a tunnel. You focus on navigating through the dark, twisting paths, relying on your instincts.

At the tunnel's exit, you spot an opportunity. You make a sharp turn into a side alley, cutting the engine and the lights. The police cars roar past, missing your hiding spot. You wait, holding your breath until the sound of sirens fades into the distance.

On the rooftop near the Ocean View Hotel, the moment you get out:

You push through the backdoor of the Ocean View Hotel, the small device clutched tightly in your hand. Unbeknownst to you, a mystery figure is perched on a nearby rooftop, watching your every move. He's dressed in dark clothing, blending seamlessly with the shadows. In his hand, he holds a radio.

"The horse is hot on heel," he mutters into the radio, his voice low and controlled.

A curt response crackles back. "Follow him."

The figure nods, tucking the radio into his jacket. He moves with practiced ease, scaling the rooftop and heading to the upper floor. There, a Sanchez motorbike waits. He mounts the bike and kicks it to life, the engine purring softly. With a smooth motion, he rides from rooftop to rooftop, effortlessly keeping pace with you as you speed through the streets below on your own Sanchez.

From his vantage point, he can see everything—your desperate maneuvers, the police hot on your tail, the narrow escapes. He follows you silently, a shadow in the night, never losing sight of his target.

As you weave through traffic, taking sharp turns and dodging obstacles, the mystery figure mirrors your movements from above. His focus never wavers, his eyes locked on you.

Finally, you reach the tunnel, and the figure stops at the edge of a rooftop, watching as you disappear into the darkness. He brings the radio to his lips once more. "The horse is in the stable."

The radio responds back, the voice calm and authoritative. "Good. Return to base."

With a final glance at the tunnel's entrance, the mystery figure turns his bike around and disappears into the night, leaving you unaware of the silent pursuit that has just ended.

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Speeding through the streets on the Sanchez, the device's strange design nags at you. It looks like a USB, but without an input side, it's a mystery. Your mind races, trying to piece together what this device could be. You remember Cam the hacker, who has helped you before with technical stuff. He might know what to do with this. You reach for your pocket, intending to call Cam, but then you realize you left everything at the hotel. Frustration bubbles up inside you, but you decide to go back, carefully checking the area for any signs of the cops.

To your surprise, the hotel looks untouched. No police presence, no sign of a break-in. Everything is eerily normal, as if the chaos from earlier never happened. You cautiously make your way back to your room.

Inside, you find everything just as you left it. The girls are gone, but your belongings are still there. You collect your things, including two phones—yours and Leo's. You glance at Leo's phone, contemplating its use. "I should get rid of this," you think, before smashing it under your heel.

You call Cam, but there's no answer. You decide to try again later. Just as you're about to leave, your phone rings. It's Cam.

"Tommy, thank God. I need your help. I'm in a bad situation," he says, his voice strained and urgent.

You think for a moment, weighing your options. Cam has always been reliable, and you owe him. "Alright, Cam. Where are you? I'll come get you."

Cam gives you an address, and you hang up, feeling the weight of another problem on your shoulders. With the police off your trail for now and a new mystery to solve, you gear up and head out to help your old friend.