“I have a buyer for a piece of military hardware that is being taken through town. Pick it up for me... and once you get it, I want you to call me immediately...”
Cortez has a buyer who wants a "piece of military hardware", a tank, which is being taken to Fort Baxter Air Base as part of a military convoy. He wants Tommy to steal it and drive it to a lock-up in Little Havana.
The target vehicle is being escorted southbound down the Vice City Mainland highway. The Rhino is guarded by several armed soldiers carrying Ruger assault rifles driving Patriots and Barracks OLs, as well as marching on foot along each side. The Rhino's destination is the Viceport Military Warehouse, and Tommy will fail the mission if the soldiers reach this point.
Attacking or otherwise provoking the soldiers will alert the convoy and turn them hostile. Killing all the soldiers or sniping the turret gunner undetected will make the Rhino driver exit the tank. Creating a roadblock with a vehicle will cause the convoy to stop while the Rhino's driver exits to move the obstacle (or another driver, depending on where the vehicle is parked). The convoy also stops for a short period at Calleggi Delicatessen Restaurant on the edge of Little Havana. The driver will exit the tank and enter the restaurant for doughnuts, during which time the Rhino is left unlocked.
Once the player enters the Rhino, a three-star wanted level is given and security protocol "Delta-India-Echo" will activate, starting a self-destruct timer of approximately three minutes. If Tommy fails to make it to Cortez's garage in time, the tank will explode, wasting Tommy and failing the mission.
Mission Objectives
In order to complete the mission the player must:
Go and acquire the piece of military hardware that is being taken through town.
Find a way to steal the tank!
Drop the tank off in the Colonels lockup before it self destructs.
Drive the tank into the garage.
Get out of the tank and walk out of the garage.
Reward
The reward for completing this mission is $2000 and the mission Death Row is unlocked if Supply & Demand is completed.
Diaz was pleased, and would like to meet you again.
Tommy:
Is that a good thing?
Cortez:
Of course! Although, I'm starting to think that Diaz was responsible for our unfortunate loss...
Tommy:
What makes you say that?
Cortez:
One does not wave accusations at a man like Diaz - I'm merely thinking out loud... No matter. I have a proposal that you could profit from...
Tommy:
I don't have time to run more errands, Cortez.
Cortez:
I would have thought a man with such dangerous debts would be hungry for opportunities. Please, Tommy, at least hear me out.
Tommy:
Go on.
Cortez:
I have a buyer for a piece of military hardware that is being taken through town. Pick it up for me... and once you get it, I want you to call me immediately, then...
(after returning to the tank) Target acquired, Sir!
Commander:
Ok, PLATOON MOVE IT OUT!
If Tommy blocks the path with a vehicle.
Commander:
CONVOY HALT! Get that civilian vehicle out of our way!
Soldier:
Sir! Moving vehicle Sir!
Commander:
(after the path has been cleared) Ok, PLATOON MOVE IT OUT!
If Tommy obstructs the convoy while on foot.
Commander:
CONVOY HALT! Get that civilian out of our way, soldier!
Soldier:
Sir, Yes Sir!
(after approaching Tommy) This is a military convoy, do not obstruct our route.
Commander:
(if Tommy stays in his position) Drop him, soldier.
(after Tommy moves away) Ok, PLATOON MOVE IT OUT!
If Tommy approaches the tank.
Commander:
Civilian, move away from the tank!
(if Tommy is still near the tank) CONVOY HALT! I SAID, move away. IMMEDIATELY!
(if Tommy stays in his position) Drop him, soldier.
(after Tommy moves away) Ok, PLATOON MOVE IT OUT!
If Tommy attacks the convoy.
Commander:
DEFENSIVE POSITIONS!
If Tommy shoots the gunner on the top of the tank.
Commander:
CONVOY HALT! What's up with the Gunner?
Soldier:
Don't know, Sir! WE'RE TAKING ENEMY FIRE!
Commander:
DEFENSIVE POSITIONS!
Depending on how Tommy shoots the gunner, the following dialogue may play instead.
Commander:
CONVOY HALT! What's up with the Gunner?
Soldier:
Don't know, Sir!
Commander:
Get topside, soldier.
Soldier:
Sir, Yes Sir!
Commander:
Ok, PLATOON MOVE IT OUT!
If Tommy shoots one of the soldiers inside the tank.
Soldier:
SNIPER!
Commander:
DEFENSIVE POSITIONS!
If Tommy kills all the soldiers except for the ones in the tank.
Commander:
I'm getting out of here.
Tommy steals the tank.
Soldier:
Civilian in the tank! Stop him!
The military attacks Tommy along with the cops, while he drives the tank to a lock-up in Little Havana. The tank's self-destruct mechanism is activated along the way.
Radio Operator:
Security protocol Delta India Echo triggered! Vehicle self destruct initiated!
The following line will play if the detonation meter is nearly full.
Radio Operator:
Prepare to die, Communist scum!
Tommy delivers the tank to the lock-up before it self-destructs.
Post-Mission Phone Call
Kent Paul: Alright me ol'china! It's Paul. I might have a little result for you, but I need to speak to you in person. I'm enjoying a little R&R at the Club Malibu. Reckon you're gonna owe me a favor or two after this, sunshine. I'll see you later.
Tommy asks Cortez if Diaz wanting to meet him is a good thing.
Cortez tells Tommy that the gainful opportunity is a good thing, although Cortez is starting to believe that Diaz may have been responsible for Tommy's failed drug deal.
Tommy asks Cortez why he thinks so.
Cortez tells Tommy that he was only thinking out loud, not outright accusing Diaz.
However, Cortez has a job for Tommy that would earn him a lot of money.
Tommy tells Cortez that he doesn't have the time to do more dirty work for Cortez.
Cortez tells Tommy that he thought that Tommy would be looking for as many gainful opportunities as possible and at least asks for Tommy to hear what the job is.
Cortez reveals that he has found a buyer for some military equipment that is currently being transported through the streets of Vice City that Tommy would have to steal.
Tommy going back to his vehicle.
Tommy on his way to the military convoy location.
Tommy approaching the convoy.
Tommy ambushing the convoy.
After eliminating all of the convoy's protection, Tommy gets into the tank Cortez ordered Tommy to steal.
Upon getting into the tank, Tommy has to take it to Cortez's lock-up.
Shortly afterwards, Tommy learns that the self-destruct mechanism has been triggered and if he will not hurry up, he will blow up with the tank.
Tommy making his way to the lock-up.
Tommy arriving at the lock-up.
Upon arriving, Tommy has to drive the tank into the garage.
The name is a reference to a soldier's response to a superior officer in the military.
At the start of the mission, the player automatically receives full health and armor.
This mission provides a good way to steal a Rhino and keep it for later use. Players simply need to buy the Hyman Condo safehouse, jack the tank and then bring it into the big garage. It will explode and fail the mission - letting the garage door close to repair it will save the tank.
While Tommy is near the convoy, wanted level is disabled.
The troops in this mission only carry Ruger assault rifles, unlike the soldiers patrolling Fort Baxter Air Base that wield the deadly M4 assault rifles or the six-star wanted level soldiers that wield MP5s, although they will still kill the player due to a fairly large number of soldiers present if the player cannot get in the tank in time.
The self-destruct security protocol Delta India Echo timer is triggered when entering the tank and will destroy a stolen tank – killing the operator.
Despite Cortez telling Tommy to call him immediately after getting the tank, Tommy never does so.
The self-destruct security protocol 'Delta India Echo', spells out 'DIE' in the NATO phonetic alphabet.
If a soldier kills another soldier, they will still attack the player.
Even if all the soldiers are killed, one will still be heard saying, "Civilian in the tank! Stop him!" when Tommy steals the tank.
Before the self-destruction, the security protocol tells the player, "Prepare to die, communist scum!" It is probably a reference to the Soviet-phobic paranoia in the 1980s (such as the 1984 movie Red Dawn).
If the player hesitates too long, the tank will eventually park in the Viceport Military Warehouse, failing the mission.
