ONE YEAR AFTER THE EVENTS OF FREELANCER...

Siris, Locus, Felix, and Slade pull up to the intersection in a black car, silently waiting for the light to turn. Thumping noises start coming from the car's trunk.

Gabriel: The fuck? Oh God! Get me out of here! Get me the fuck out!

He continues to make noise as Felix reaches to the radio and turns up the volume. The light turns green and they drive through the intersection, only to arrive at yet another red light.

Siris: Come on...

Felix: Relax. Job's done.

Siris: It's not done until he's in custody and we get paid.

Felix: Then just run it.

Siris: (scoffs) Yeah, last thing I need now is a traffic ticket.

Felix: Wow. Mason Wu, trained killer of men, draws the line at public safety.

Siris: Gates, I am not-

Locus: Codenames.

Siris, Felix, and Slade look at Locus, then at each other.

Slade: Locus, we're not in imminent danger and there's nobody here except for fuck-stain back there to know who we are. So quit being so uptight.

Locus glances at Slade before sighing. They then pull out of the intersection.

Siris: Look, the money's just a little tight right now.

Felix: Money? We just scored the bounty of our lives. Split four ways that asshole's still buying me a new car, you get your wife something nice, Slade can buy himself a shitload of materials to make some of those weapons he's been working on. Locus does...

Felix looks at Locus, who is still sulking in the back seat.

Felix: ...whatever he does with money. I'm assuming therapy?

Locus now has a pained expression on his face.

Felix: Look, the point is we're gonna be fine. Collect our bounty, lay low for a little while, and when things cool up-

Something beeps on the car's monitor.

Siris: The fuck?

Felix: Hey! Stop, stop! HEY STOP!

The car screeches to a halt, inches away from a drunk man with a bottle crossing the street.

Drunk: Hey! Fuck you!

He raises his hand, giving the mercs the finger, then stumbles away.

Felix: Jesus, man. Pay attention.

Locus: (leans between their seats) What is it?

The monitor shows an image of Gabriel. The display reads:

GABRIEL LOZANO
BOUNTY NOT FOUND

Felix: Oh-

The group is now in an abandoned parking lot. Locus is seated on the car's hood, Slade is seated on the roof, Felix is pacing off to the side, and Siris kicks a can in frustration.

Siris: FUCK!

Locus: They have someone inside the IPD.

Siris: No, that's not possible.

Felix: Every police force has bad cops, even the big ones.

Siris: Bad cops? They erased his record. As far as they're concerned we've got an innocent man tied up in our trunk. The fuck we supposed to do with that?

Locus: And we still need to cover equipment costs for the mission.

Siris: GOD DAMN IT! (kicks the car with his metal leg, leaving a large dent)

Slade: And now we have to get fixations for the car. Good job, Wu.

Felix is crouched down on the pavement, thinking of a way out.

Felix: I know how we make our money. I don't care what his record says, Gabriel is not an innocent man. But he is the son of one of the wealthiest men in this city. And we have him in our trunk.

Siris: (widens eyes in realization) No.

Felix: Siris-

Siris: We are not crooks!

Felix: Siris-

Siris: Ransom? Are you kidding me? That's what you're suggesting, right? You wanna hold this kid for ransom?!

Felix: Think about the money.

Siris: The four of us set out to stop criminals. We do good, we get paid, everybody wins. Ransom makes us no better than the guys we're trying to take down!

Felix: Philosophically speaking, I see what you're saying. I do. But you're not thinking about this pragmatically. You're the one that brought us together. You saw something in us that we didn't, and you saw the good we could do with our talents. But what you don't see is that Gabriel Lozano is a bad person. His father Ruben is a very bad person that pays bad people to do bad things. We hold his son ransom for, fuck it, let's say double the bounty, and we are taking money away from Lozano. We are hurting him financially. You see the logic here? We're still helping the city. Ruben Lozano takes a major hit, and we reunite a family.

Locus: It's likely Ruben would become more protective of his son once he's back. Less men causing trouble on the streets, less income to keep those men happy, it could yield better results than the original mission.

Siris: (sighs) Slade? Your take?

Slade: Trust me, I don't like this anymore than you do. But Gates has a point. Blegh, that did not sound right coming out of my mouth.

Felix: Up yours!

Siris: (exhales) Alright. So who wants to make the call?

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Several hours at an abandoned excavation site, Felix is making the call to Ruben Lozano.

Answering Machine: Hello. You have reached the voice mail box-

Felix: MOTHERFUCKER! (slams phone on table)

Siris: Maybe he's not home.

Felix: Very funny.

Slade: What's the matter, Gates? Don't like it people start being a wise-arse other than you?

The phone then starts buzzing. Felix slowly walks over to the table and answers the call.

Felix: Hello?

Ruben: Where is my son?

Felix: (smirks and sets the phone to speaker) Mr. Lozano! I'm pleased to inform you that Gabriel is here with us safe and sound.

Gabriel is tied to a chair, with a bag over his head.

Ruben: Should he not be in the custody of the police?

Felix: Well that's funny. You see it turns out that your son is completely innocent! Must have been some sort of mixup at IPD. It's an honest mistake.

Ruben: Hmm. I see. Then what, may I ask, are you planning to do with him?

Felix laughs like a crazy person, causing Siris and Locus to share a concerned glance. Slade whistles at Felix and gives him a "get to the point" look.

Felix: Oh, Mr. Lozano I can promise you that we have all sorts of plans involving your son, but what ultimately happens to him is entirely dependent upon the actions you take within the next few minutes. See we went through a lot of trouble apprehending young Gabriel, (pats him on the head, then sits on his arm) so if you want him back you will transfer four million credits to a specified bank account. Once the payment has been received, we will provide you with Gabriel's location, and the two of you can move on with your lives. I know this must be difficult for you, Mr. Lozano, but please know that if your payment is not received before sunrise, these will be the last words you hear from your son. (pulls tape off of Gabriel's mouth)

Gabriel: Oh! Dad, just please do what they want! Just fucking pay them! Please just- (Felix prods his head with a pistol) Oh God.

Felix: So, Mr. Lozano. I suggest you think very carefully about the-

Ruben: You're a fucking idiot.

Felix turns to Locus and Siris, who both shrug. Felix then looks at Slade who shakes his head just as confused.

Felix: I'm sorry?

Ruben: No you're not. But I'm going to make you fucking sorry. I'm going to make you wish you never set foot inside my fucking nightclub, you stupid rat-faced shit!

Felix: Mr. Lozano, I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation.

Felix shoots Gabriel in the leg, who screams and cries loudly.

Siris: Hey!

Felix: (motions for Siris to stop) Shut him up.

Gabriel: GAAAHHHH! HE SHOT ME! HE, HE FUCKING SHOT ME!

Locus puts a hand over Gabriel's mouth to muffle the screaming.

Felix: Four million credits, or your son is dead!

Ruben: You think I give a shit about my son?

Everyone looks surprised, including Gabriel, whose screaming dies down into a confused whimper.

Ruben: My son is the worst thing I have ever brought into this world. A fucking disgrace. He couldn't even run the nightclub I gave him. He is a parasite that has done nothing but piss away my fortune. If you want the truth, killing him would be doing me a favor. Unfortunately, this does not excuse you of the damage you have already done. I have a reputation to uphold. If word got out that three bounty hunters killed my men, shot up my property, and kidnapped my son, all without consequence, that would most certainly be a sign of weakness. Which is why I am personally going to bash your skulls open and feed you to my dogs. Do we understand one another, or have you not yet grasped the gravity of the situation?

Felix: You're full of shit, Lozano. And now your kid costs five million.

Siris silently reacts, as if he's asking Felix what the fuck he's doing. Slade gives him the kill gesture across his neck, signaling that isn't a good idea. Felix motions for them to calm down.

Ruben: Far too bold. It's obvious I've worked in this world longer than you have, boy. You're a bad liar. But so you know that I'm not bluffing, I can tell you that the bounty hunters, Locus, Felix, and Slade will not live to see the sunrise.

Locus, Felix, and Slade exchange worried glances.

Ruben: Oh that's right. I know your aliases. I know your faces, and your scars. I know you're at the abandoned quarry outside of town.

The mercs panic. Locus grabs the pistol, and he and Siris rush to look out the window.

Ruben: What I want you to know is that I already have more than enough information to find you in this city, and if you somehow manage to slip away, I will find the people you know, the people you love, and I will make them suffer in your place.

Siris: Stop! Wait wait wait wait stop! (grabs the phone from Felix's hand) Look, take your fucking kid, alright? No ransom, no money, just take him and you'll never see us again.

Ruben: I'll be seeing you soon, gentlemen. (hangs up)

Siris: Fuck. FUCK! (shatters the phone on the floor)

Felix: (to Locus) You botched the cameras, didn't you?!

Locus: Cameras were down.

Felix: Then how does he know our names, Ortez?! How does he know what we fucking look like?!

Siris: How does he know we're here?

Gabriel: I got a chip. (sniffs) In my neck. I got a, a GPS chip My dad put it there. (sniffs) And there was a girl under my desk.

Felix: Under your...oh. Oh, oh that is perfect, classy too!

Gabriel: (crying) Can't believe...he said that.

Siris: I have to call Megan.

Felix: You're not doing shit, Wu.

Siris: She could be in danger.

Felix: Well we are all in danger, until we sort this out!

The three then hear a massive snap and see Slade had turned Gabriel's head around, indicating he'd snapped his neck.

Slade: Gear up and get ready for a fight. I haven't lived this long only to get taken down by some B-rated crime boss.

Felix, Locus, and Siris watch him exit the room and look at one another.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Two hours later at the abandoned quarry, the mercs are preparing for battle. Siris inspects his sniper rifle, while Locus parks a bulldozer off to the side. Slade puts his SMG on his back and check his ammo count.

Locus: We're good on the north and south. I had enough extra limestone to make a bottleneck at the east end.

Siris: Good.

Locus: Dynamite?

Siris: In the crate.

Locus: Good.

Felix: Welp, our trusty arms dealer isn't returning my calls, so he's either high or... fully aware of how fucked we are. On the bright side, there's a pileup on the 35, so, that buys us some time. You know, in case we just wanna kill ourselves.

Locus: We have enough firepower. We also have the cliff to our backs, and a thorough understanding of the terrain. We have survived worse. (forcefully gives Felix a gun) But if you waste a single one of our rounds on yourself, I will be VERY unhappy.

Felix: ...Why does it always gotta be about you?

Slade: Hey, we're in this mess BECAUSE of you. Quit mouthing and start moving.

Siris picks up a pistol and examines it thoughtfully.

Felix: Wu, you wanna give me a hand? Hey Wu! Ammo?

Siris: Lozano doesn't know about me...

Felix: What?

Siris: Lozano. He called you out. Locus, Slade and Felix. Three bounty hunters, but he never mentioned me. I was never inside.

Felix: The hell are you saying, Mas?

Siris: I'm saying I have a family, man.

Felix: Are you kidding me?

Siris: You, Ortez, and Zak fight just as well without me.

Felix: No, fuck that. Are you seriously trying to get out of this?!

Siris: I never wanted this.

Felix: Son of a bitch!

Felix raises his gun at Siris, which Siris does in return.

Locus: Felix! Siris is right. Lozano has no idea he exists. If he wasn't here... no one would question a thing.

Slade: He doesn't know what me or Locus sound like. So he probably thought it was one of us and not Siris. And I know how precious family is.

There is a long silence before Felix and Siris lower their guns. Siris thinks for a moment, then puts the pistol back down on the table.

Later that night, a group of black cars plow through the gate at the quarry's entrance. They park in front of the main entrance as Felix has a gun on the recently deceased Gabriel's head. Gabriel has a bag over his head and is tied to a chair to give the appearance that he's still alive. Lozano's men get into position and point their guns at Felix.

Felix: So, what? Daddy chicken out?

Another squad of cars pulls up to the scene, including a hummer limo containing Lozano. Even more of Lozano's henchmen come out of the vehicles. One of the men throws Felix a ringing cell phone.

Felix: Really? (picks up the phone and answers) This is Felix.

Ruben: Felix, thank you for saving me the trouble of hunting you down. I respect a man who chooses to look his death in the face.

Felix: Well that's awfully presumptuous of you.

Ruben: Where are your partners?

Felix: Oh, they're around. We wanted to give you one more chance to take your kid and let us go our separate ways.

Ruben: I'm afraid you are not in a position to negotiate.

Felix: Come on man, I have a gun to your son's head! Most people would call that a pretty hefty bargaining chip.

Ruben: I am not most people.

Felix: (sigh) Yeah. I guess not. But you were stupid enough to come here.

Ruben hangs up and taps the window, signaling one of his men to fire at Felix. Before they can pull the triggers, one guard is shot in the head from a distance.

Bodyguard 1: Sniper!

He also gets shot through the head. The sniper is Locus, who has positioned himself on top of a nearby cliff.

Locus: Move!

Felix: Moving!

Felix kicks Gabriel toward the cars.

Bodyguard 2: After him!

Ruben's men chase after Felix, while the second bodyguard stays behind to pull the sack off of Gabriel's head to find that Gabriel has a live grenade in his mouth.

Bodyguard 2: Oh shit!

The grenade explodes, and Ruben leans back.

Ruben: Will somebody kill these motherfuckers?!

Bodyguard 3: Go, go! (points a sniper at Locus) I got you.

He stops to realize that the ledge he's up against is covered in dynamite. All the other men turn to see what happened and are immediately shot by Siris.

Siris: Second positions.

Ruben: Ronaldo, what's happening?

Siris: Sit tight Ruben.

Several more guards come out to find Siris, only to hear a thump and see Slade with his SMG and pistol.

Slade: G'day mates.

Slade hops off and shoots two guards in the head before throwing his pistol at the third and shooting him and a fourth guard both with the pistol as it head bounce back off the guards head and into his hand.

Felix hops onto an escalator to avoid Lozano's men. He shoots one in the head, plants a bomb on the lift, then turns and jumps to the nearby ledge. He gets shot in the leg on the way down, yelling in pain. Felix pulls out a detonator and blows up the lift, killing the men inside. Locus helps Felix onto his feet.

Felix: How many is that?

Locus: Nineteen.

Another henchman appears behind Locus.

Felix: Shit.

Felix throws a knife at the henchman, striking him with the blunt end and causing him to fall off the ledge.

Felix: That works.

Siris pivots off his robotic leg killing the remaining guards with his shotgun, then opens the limo door to search for Lozano. He finds it empty, and is hit in the head by Lozano's baseball bat.

Ruben: I told you. You fucking piece of shit! I told you I'd bash your head in! Fucking bounty hunters.

Lozano raises the bat to kill Siris but halts as a slightly quiet "shnk" noise was heard and he falls, having a knife in his back. Siris looks up and sees Slade smirking, extending his hand and helping Siris up.

Locus helps Felix over and they see Lozano on the ground.

Felix: What a douche.

Siris: (to Ruben) You shouldn't have brought family into it.

Ruben: But you did first. (dies)

Siris lets these words sink in as Slade holds his shoulder.

Slade: Don't listen to him, mate. You heard him yourself. He couldn't have given two flying fucks what happened to Gabriel.

Siris nods as the four mercs then see the sun rise.

Felix: Nature is so fucking cliche.

Locus: We're alive. Quit complaining.

Felix: Yeah but it's part of my charm. (to Siris) Hey, thanks for staying.

Siris: We're partners.

Felix: (smiles) Partners.

Locus: We're still out our initial equipment cost, and then some. (tosses his pistol away)

Siris: Yeah. Probably would've been smart to turn him in.

Felix: Well, how much do you think we'd get for this? (knocks on Lozano's limo)

Slade: (smirks) My guess? $500k at least.

Later in the city, the mercs are driving away to pawn off the limo. They run red lights and cut off other drivers in the process, clearly no longer concerned about public safety.