Ian Sykes was a former Special Forces Green Beret in the U.S. Army. After leaving the Army, he sold his talents as a professional mercenary and assassin. In 2002, he was hired by Gavin Lloyd to eliminate two potential witnesses to Lloyd's crooked dealings: Nicole Vasques and Jason Ronstadt, both associated with mayoral candidate Warren St. Claire. Sykes performed both murders, stabbing Vasques in her home and shooting Ronstadt with a sniper rifle during a political rally. Ronstadt's murder was meant to be seen as a failed assassination attempt on St. Claire - according to Lloyd's plan, it would both camoflage the real motive for Ronstadt's death, and boost St. Claire's popularity in the upcoming election.