Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Rewrite)

Chapter 64: The Driver

With Phil and Cam in the office, Tommy was standing by the edge of the wall staring down at the dance floor below. Cam, Phil, and Ken were all sitting on the couch expecting Tommy to come up with their next big plan.

"Things are starting to come together nicely here," Tommy announced, not turning to face the three on the couch.

"What's the plan, Tommy?" Ken asked him curiously. "Que pasa, amigo?"

"The plan is you keep doing that like a moron," Tommy told Ken still, not bothering to look back.

Phil just laughed at the lawyer. "Anyhow, we need a driver," Tommy explained.

"Tommy, I'll do it," Ken told him, jumping out of his seat. "I can drive."

"You want Hilary, mister," Phil told Tommy, hopping out of his seat as well and shoving Ken back in his own. "Not some smart-talking law school chump. Hilary's the real deal. You ain't never seen anyone drive so fast."

"Okay," Tommy replied. "You got his number then?"

"I'll give him a call here," Phil said.

He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed the number. He paced the room for a while as he heard the phone ringing from the other line. The phone finally picked up from the other line.

"Hey Hil, it's Phil," Phil answered. "How's it going?"

This Hilary person answered indistinctly. "No, don't talk," Phil told him. "We'll reminisce later. You want to do me a favor? I got me a guy from up north."

The Hilary person asked an incomprehensible question from the other line. "No, no," Phil answered, "I don't think he was in the service, but he wants a driver."

Hilary asked another question indistinctly. "For a bit of action," Phil answered.

He waited to hear Hilary's answer, which was still indistinct and hard for the others to hear through the other line. "Okay, I understand," Phil answered, and he hung up the phone.

"What'd he say?" Tommy asked.

"Well, he'll do it, no problem," Phil answered rapidly.

Tommy stared at him with a skeptical expression, and Phil finally gave in. "Well, there might be a little problem," he finally admitted. "See, he has abandonment issues. Seems he won't work for anyone who can't beat him. Something to do with his momma. Anyway, he wants to race you first, said he'd meet you outside."

Tommy just shook his head in annoyance as he started to walk away.

"Abandonment issues!" he muttered to himself. "Who is this freak... why can't I meet someone normal for a change?"

As Tommy stepped outside, he saw a red Sabre Turbo parked just right in front of the Malibu Club. A stout man with big red hair, eye glasses, a purple polo shirt, and white pants was sitting inside the vehicle. He must have been Hilary. Tommy stepped closer to the driver, who had just noticed him approaching.

"You Tommy?" Hilary asked Tommy, who nodded in agreement. "Of course you're Tommy. I mean, why else would anyone want to speak to me? OK. Consider it this way - I'll drive for you IF, and only IF, you can drive properly. Leave me alone - and I'll never forgive you."

"Okay," Tommy told him, "but just one question I have to ask you: Why do I have to race you if you're the getaway driver I'm asking for?"

"See, here's the thing," Hilary explained, "I'm sure Phil already mentioned my... ehem... "problem" to you, and when I do things like this, I tend to have these kind of things backfire on me, and if I perform the task, I might be murdered. I want to be sure that I have some backup just in case I'm in grave danger, and I have to know if I have another reliable driver with me."

Tommy just sighed. "Fine," he groaned. "But if you and I race, you're gonna have to get me a fast car to even out the process."

"Cheers," Hilary replied.

So Tommy was inside a red Banshee as he and Hilary started on the starting road of Washington Beach. On the count of three, the two started racing each other down the road. The good news was that there were very few cars driving around the road, thus giving the two racers a nice advantage around the town.

Unfortunately, as they passed the police station around the corner, they were chased by a pair of cop cars. "Illegal street race in progress at Vice Point!" one of the officers of the VCPD announced over the radio. "Calling all officers! Street racers, this is illegal and forbidden!"

But Tommy and Hilary just ignored them as they continued speeding around the road and drove down Ocean Beach. Th two were neck and neck to each other as they avoided the cop cars chasing after them.

They drove around the city and went through a circle as they went around the other end of Washington Beach, where they caused two cop cars to collide with each other. The two were moving faster than the police and continued picking up speed as they zoomed through Vice Point. Tommy had then pulled farther up front and zipped past Hilary as he drove around the city and made a sharp right turn on the intersection of the road. He saw the Malibu Club up ahead and confidently drove past it, thus prevailing in the street race.

Hilary slowly pulled up beside Tommy just seconds later. "OK. I'll drive for you," Hilary agreed, "but please, treat me bad."

So now this guy wants to be treated like shit now? Tommy thought. I swear, some of these people I just don't understand.

Tommy wasn't complaining though. Because he now had a getaway driver to help perform the imminent heist for him. So the final thing for him to do was to complete the plan and he and the other three members would be prepared.