The winding East 9 Highway stretched ahead as a white RV cruised at a steady speed.
Rock music blasted from the speakers, thumping so hard the whole group was swaying side to side, laughing and living their best spring-break life.
"Hey! Brad! This track is fire! Turn it up!"
"No problem! Let's get hyped for this damn spring break!"
In the middle of all the noise, Patty sat alone on the window-side couch, clearly annoyed.
She kept staring at her phone, watching the photos she'd already sent spinning in endless loading circles. "Signal's total garbage…"
After a few seconds she swiped up and down the screen—the "mystical fix" Soren had taught her.
Across from her, Scott swirled a glass of champagne and watched her like a hawk.
The second he saw her frown, he figured this was his golden moment.
"Hey! Kevin!"
Scott whipped his head around and yelled at the skinny Asian kid hunched in the passenger seat. "Patty says the signal sucks. Aren't you supposed to be the big network genius?"
"Fix it already! Don't keep her waiting!"
Kevin—thick black glasses, arms wrapped around a heavy shortwave radio—flinched and shrank into his seat.
"The magnetic field out here is weird… I can't do much about it," he mumbled, pushing his glasses up. "But I brought a high-power shortwave set. If anything really goes wrong, we can still reach the outside world."
"What'd you just say?"
Scott's face twisted. The quiet kid actually dared to talk back? His ego couldn't handle it.
BANG!
He slammed the table and stood up like he was about to charge over and swing.
"Enough, Scott."
Patty's voice cut through, ice-cold. "Stop taking it out on Kevin. Sit down."
She was so over this guy. Nobody had invited him, but he'd stuck to them like glue, forcing his way onto the trip. Now he was throwing his weight around and bullying people.
"Hmph. Since Patty asked nicely, I'll let you off this time."
Scott dropped back into his seat, then turned to her with what he clearly thought was a romantic look. "Hear that, Patty? This backwoods place is dangerous… but don't worry. I'll protect you."
Kevin glanced at Patty, mouth opening like he wanted to say something, but he just lowered his head and went back to fiddling with his radio.
Patty couldn't even be bothered to answer. She turned to the window, resting her chin on one hand, staring at the rolling mountains and bright blue sky dotted with scattered houses below.
The view was gorgeous, but her mood stayed sour—like biting into a perfect apple and finding half a worm inside.
Her brain kept replaying Soren's lazy "nah, not going" face.
Stupid Soren… bet he's sprawled on the office couch right now, feet up, eating a strawberry sundae.
If she'd known it would feel like this, she never would've come!
She chewed her lip, annoyed all over again.
She'd only invited him so he could finally relax. The guy was either glued to the office or off on dangerous jobs with Dante. She finally had a break and he shot her down without a second thought.
If he were here, he would've already tossed this arrogant jerk Scott right out the door…
…
Meanwhile, on the highway leaving Los Santos.
"Achoo!!"
Soren sneezed three times in a row while driving. He rubbed his nose and tossed the phone aside—the screen still showed "Call Failed."
"Gotta be Patty cursing me again…"
The traffic jam finally thinned out. He glanced at the speed-limit sign, grinned, and slammed the gas.
VROOOOM!
The tuned-up sports car shot forward like a rocket.
Speeding ticket? Not his problem—the car wasn't even his.
…
"Hey, guys, don't get all gloomy on me."
Up front, Micki Hayes—cheer captain and one of Patty's few real friends—popped a pink bubble and broke the awkward silence.
This whole spring-break trip had been her idea.
Originally it was supposed to be Patty, her boyfriend Brad (who was driving), tech-nerd Kevin, and a couple other classmates.
But everyone else bailed at the last minute.
That's when Scott—the guy who'd been stalking Patty for months—showed up with a fat stack of cash and offered to pay for the entire trip for her and Brad.
Micki had pretended not to hear Patty's complaints and let him tag along. Money talked.
Besides, in her mind she was doing Patty a huge favor.
Sure, Scott's personality sucked, but his family was loaded. If Patty landed a rich boyfriend like him, she'd never have to worry about money again—straight-up upgrade to trophy-wife status.
And as the best-friend matchmaker, Micki figured she'd get invited into those fancy circles too. Maybe even meet some other rich guys through Scott's connections.
Win-win!
She blew another bubble. "You guys hear about the big news around here a couple days ago?"
"You mean that whole town police station thing?" Scott jumped in, smirking. "Media totally made it up. My dad had dinner with a state senator—it's some bio-virus leak. Government's just stirring up panic to cover their asses."
"Uh, bro… not that one."
Brad cut him off mid-sentence.
Scott's face froze. One look at Brad's bulging muscles stretching his T-shirt and he wisely shut his mouth.
Brad was Micki's boyfriend and the star of the school baseball team—built like a tank.