Woden attempts to intervene and is killed by Lem as well enraged Max attacks his former friend and eventually kills him. Lem, realizing that Mona cares for Max and will not kill him, shoots her. After a massive firefight at the estate, Max and Mona confront Lem. Mona rescues him, and the two escape and head for Alfred Woden's estate. Lem tells Max that Winterson was his mistress, then shoots Max and leaves him for dead in a burning building. He also learns that Mona is a hired gun working for Woden, and has orders to kill both Max and Lem. Max learns that the Cleaners work for him, and that he is systematically eliminating any competitors while also trying to gain control of the Inner Circle of which he is a member of. Before dying, Winterson shoots Max, putting him in the hospital.Īfter waking up and escaping from the hospital, Max is captured by Vladimir Lem who is the head of the local Russian mob. Max shoots Winterson, allowing Mona to escape. Max sees a flash in Winterson's eyes that leads him to believe Mona. After fighting off more Cleaners, Winterson arrives and holds Mona at gunpoint Mona insists that she's here to kill her while Winterson says she is just arresting a fugitive. The Cleaners attack Max and Mona the Cleaners lead them to a construction site which the two begin searching for clues. Max tracks her down at her residence, where they agree to work together and end up having sex. While Max and the other cops repel the attackers, Mona escapes. Max overhears his partner Valerie Winterson discussing Mona on the phone when the precinct is attacked by the Cleaners, who are looking for Mona. Mona is arrested for the murder of a Senator and taken to the police station Max works at. Two years after the events of the first game, Max has returned to his old job as an NYPD detective and is investigating a string of contract killings performed by a group called "the Cleaners" when he encounters Mona Sax who was presumed dead at the end of the last game. It focuses on the highly tense relation between Max Payne and Mona Sax. The noir themed story continues two years after the events of the original Max Payne, when a new conspiracy arises. Max Payne 2 is a shooter developed by Remedy Entertainment, and direct sequel to Max Payne.