Thus, America's cherished freedoms were taken away by the very people assigned to guarantee them, just as the aggressors hoped. This left Americans completely in the lurch, and within hours of the attack isolated the entire nation from their neighbors and allies. A large portion of the military was recalled from abroad to begin a nation-wide hunt for the second warhead. And while all of this occurred, life still moved on, but in a very different manner.

Nikolaas Lenin, a name he regretted since grade school, already had enough on his plate. As an art student in New York City, he had trouble making rent payments, and many end-of-the-year deadlines were beginning to creep upon him. His room mates, Luke and Stacy, were constantly getting underfoot with their sexcapades, while Niko's own girlfriend - Melissa - was at Rhode Island School of Design. His only confidant was a girl named Denise who did very well for herself as an information technician, and had her own place on the upper west side in Hell's Kitchen.