Donnie's voice sounded incredibly panicked—more panicked than when his cover was blown.
"What happened?"
"Vincent! That bastard Vincent has lost his mind! He kidnapped my wife! He's trying to force me to testify against you guys! I... I don't dare call Phil and Dennis, so I could only call you!"
Right now, besides Vincent, Lawson was the only one who knew Donnie's true identity, so Donnie had no other choice.
Lawson's groggy brain instantly woke up.
"He actually did that? Where are you right now?"
"I'm at XXX Apartments! Fuck! I feel like I'm losing my mind!"
"Donnie, don't panic! Wait for me to get there, and we'll figure this out!"
From the intel Lawson had previously bought from Svafa, he knew Donnie had married before going undercover.
Donnie's wife had stayed by his side throughout his undercover stint, so their relationship must be pretty solid. Lawson felt this might be an opportunity.
An opportunity to build his own crew!
Lawson couldn't just throw together a temporary team every time he took a job. He needed fixed teammates.
After all, a pig-headed teammate is often deadlier than a god-tier opponent.
Lawson quickly washed up, grabbed some bread to fill his stomach, and drove his Dodge Viper to the address Donnie provided.
Arriving at an apartment building in downtown LA, Lawson knocked on the door and was met by a red-eyed Donnie.
"Lawson, I really have no other way! Maggie is nine months pregnant. She's due any day now. She almost miscarried not long ago... I'm so scared!"
Donnie's crying earned some sympathy from Lawson. A grown man wouldn't shed tears unless he was truly heartbroken.
"Calm down, Donnie! Now is not the time to cry! Your wife and your unborn child are waiting for you!"
Lawson's words helped Donnie pull himself together slightly.
"You're right. Now is not the time to cry!"
"Donnie, tell me exactly what happened, step by step!"
Donnie haltingly explained the sequence of events.
After the Pacific Standard Bank job, Donnie had moved and laid low for a while. Once he was sure the LAPD hadn't tracked him down, he prepared to leave Los Angeles.
However, when he stepped out to buy some supplies for the trip, he received a call from Vincent.
"Joe Pistone, you have truly disappointed me!"
"Vincent, I'm tired of the undercover life. Just let me go, okay? I'm never coming back to LA!"
Unfortunately, Vincent, whose career had been destroyed by the Pacific Standard Bank job, had gone completely rogue. He didn't want to hear any of Donnie's excuses. He only wanted revenge—and a glorious return to the force.
"Joe Pistone, your choice is highly regrettable. Therefore, I'm going to have to punish you! I have Maggie. If you want her and the baby to be safe, wait for my call."
Donnie felt like he had been struck by lightning. He rushed back to his apartment, only to find the door forced open and his wife, Maggie, gone.
"My mind is a mess right now! I don't know what to do!"
Lawson patted Donnie on the shoulder.
"Has Vincent called back yet?"
Donnie shook his head.
"I'm waiting for his call."
Right as he said that, Donnie's phone rang. He quickly answered it.
"Joe Pistone, did you really find help that fast? Is that guy the mastermind behind the Pacific Standard Bank job? It doesn't matter. Bring whoever you want. Be at that warehouse you guys always meet at by midnight tonight! One minute late, and Maggie might be in danger!"
Donnie had the phone on speaker, so Lawson heard Vincent's words clearly.
Lawson immediately dropped to the floor and crawled to the window to check outside. Vincent's words proved he was monitoring Donnie's apartment, which meant he might be nearby.
Unfortunately, it was pitch black outside. Lawson couldn't see anything or locate Vincent.
Lawson frowned deeply. He had come here without a disguise, and his Asian appearance was highly distinct. He would definitely be connected to the Asian suspect from the Pacific Standard Bank job.
Lawson hadn't thought that through. He needed to be more careful in the future.
"Wait! Vincent, let me hear Maggie's voice! Just one sentence!"
Donnie was clearly terrified for his wife's condition.
"Fine! Maggie, say hello to your husband."
"Donnie, save me!"
From Maggie's strong voice, it was clear she hadn't been physically tortured. At the very least, she was healthy.
"Maggie, hold on! I'll come get you!"
"That's enough, Donnie! Midnight. I'll be waiting at the warehouse!"
Lawson checked the time. It was 10 PM. Driving to the suburban warehouse would take at least an hour.
"Donnie, you need to go!"
Donnie looked at Lawson.
"Lawson, aren't you coming with me?"
"You go first. I'll tail you!"
Donnie understood Lawson's plan. He quickly gathered his things and drove his car toward the meet spot.
After Donnie left, Lawson stepped out of the apartment, pulled out his phone, and checked the Payday app. Sure enough, a new gig had popped up.
[New Job: Rogue Cop]
[Difficulty: ☆]
[Primary Objective: Successfully rescue Maggie Pistone]
[Bonus Objective 1: Ensure both Maggie and her baby are safe]
[Current Status: Preparation Phase]
[Purchasable Intel: 1 item]
A 1-Star difficulty? That meant this job should be extremely easy.
But no matter how easy the job, Lawson always bought the intel.
[Intel 1: Vincent Murphy was able to locate Maggie Pistone because of another undercover cop.]
Another undercover cop?
Lawson immediately realized something and quickly dialed Donnie's number.
Donnie had just left and was still in the neighborhood.
"Lawson, what is it?"
"Donnie, I just thought of something. How did Vincent find out you and Maggie were living there?"
That question made Donnie freeze.
"I... I hadn't even thought about that! Fuck!"
"Well, think about it now!"
After a moment of hesitation, Donnie answered Lawson.
"I bumped into another undercover friend on the street recently. Did he tell Vincent?"
"Another undercover cop? Give me his number!"
Donnie quickly rattled off a string of digits.
Lawson hung up and dialed the new number.
"Hello? This is Brian O'Conner. Who is this?"
Brian O'Conner?
Why did that name sound so familiar?
"I'm a friend of Donnie Brasco."
"Donnie? He gave you my number?"
"Yes. Donnie is in massive trouble right now, and that trouble was brought to his door by you."
The line went silent for a moment.
"What exactly do you mean by that?"