Empty Promises

 is a mission in Red Dead Redemption given to the player by Vincente de Santa and is the first mission in the game where players can obtain a sniper rifle.

Story
John Marston approaches the President's villa, when met by Captain De Santa. He's told that they've been betrayed, and that Marston needs to come with him at once.

Mission Objectives
To complete this mission, the player must:
 * Accompany De Santa to the wagon convoy.
 * Ride shotgun to Torquemada.
 * Fight his way up to the fort.
 * Kill all of the rebels in the fort.

Mission Details
Find and mount a horse, before following De Santa. Soon you'll have to dismount before riding shotgun in De Santa's cart, which will take you to Torquemada.

Soon after arriving, the cart in front of yours will be blown up by TNT, before rebels assault you from the hills to the right. You'll have to kill them, as well as three rebels on horseback that will come from the same direction.

You'll arrive in Torquemada, where you'll be meet by the armed forces. You'll be given a sniper rifle to help fend off the enemy forces on top of the hill. After killing the rebels, you'll have to move on to the blockades. The rebels will blow them up, before assaulting with a small group of rebels. Once again, after killing the attackers, you'll have to move up to clear out the valley.

Lastly you'll have to move up to the ruins. Beware, because the rebels here have snipers and are numerous. The ruins go on for a long time, with many enemies, both snipers and regular rebels. Once you reach the end, a cutscene will commence, showing De Santa. He'll try to offer Marston women and wine, but Marston turns it down, saying he wants information, and that he demands information the next time they meet.

Mission Failure
The mission will fail if the player:
 * Assaults, kills or abandons De Santa.
 * Kills his own or De Santa's horse.
 * Kills the horses pulling the wagon.
 * Assaults or kills any Mexican Army soldiers.
 * Dies.

New Game Elements Introduced

 * Using a sniper rifle

Mission Complete Unlockables

 * Rolling Block Rifle (gifted)
 * Love is the Opiate stranger mission