Four pm- Chinatown 
  
Ko and Rica climbed the steps to the Tak Wa Eng Kung Fu studio in Chinatown. The main hangout for bosses Bad Tara and Kitty. Once inside the spacious studio, Ko admired the Chinese weapons, and dragon parade heads adorning the walls. 
  
“I train here under Tara and Kitty,” said Rica. 
  
“Really? Are they good?” He asked, touching a display sword. 
  
“They can kick your ass.” 
  
Ko smirked. “That’s not difficult at all, you know.” 
  
“You liar!” Rica laughed and play punched him. “You know how much trouble you gave me in Monaco ¹ Monaco is where they met in an old short story where I introduced the character Ko. They were total children back then five years ago?” 
  
“Monaco?” he said, surprised that she brought up the place they’d met where she tried to kill him. 
  
“Yes, if I recall you were a pretty fast rifle fighter. So I assume you still train,” she said, whipping her bangs from her eyes. 
  
Ko grinned, carefully removing a heavy staff from the wall. He then raised the weapon over his head, twirling it with one hand. And in one blinding motion, he whipped the staff downward while extending the reach, locked in a fighter’s stance. 
  
“Impressive,” said Rica making a clapping gesture. 
  
He spun the staff one last time before placing it back on the wall. “You assumed correctly. I still train hard. And I’m sure I’m a better rifle shot than you are.” 
  
“What? Oh, hell no!” She covered her mouth to laugh, “Now you’re getting ahead of yourself, palooka!” 
  
He frowned, “What’s a palooka?” 
  
“You are!” yelled a voice from the other side of the studio. 
  
Ko and Rica spun around and gaped at the beautiful boss Kitty, stepping out of the backoffice. 
  
“Big sis, Kitty!” Rica greeted. 
  
“Hey lil sis, is that hunting dog out here showing off in front of you?” Kitty teased. 
  
“Yes he is!” Rica replied. 
  
“Well cut it out and come talk a little business with me and Tara,” said Kitty, glancing at Ko, “And bring him with you.” 
  
The Outlaw Sisters. 
  
Ko and Rica stepped inside the office with Kitty. Behind a large desk sat Kitty’s sister, the infamous boss Bad Tara. She wore jeans and a sweatshirt while playing a game on her phone. She only looked up to greet Rica. 
  
“Yo, Rica,” said Tara, then back to her game. 
  
“Hi Tara,” Rica took a seat in front of the desk, with Ko standing behind. A proper place for a bodyguard. 
  
Kitty sat next to Tara, and wasted no time voicing her displeasure at Rica’s people. 
  
“So, where are your two brutes, Salt and Pepper?” Kitty asked. 
  
“Bling and Ian? Oh, they’re checking something out for me as we speak,” Rica answered. 
  
“Oh yeah? So they think they’re gonna hide behind your skirt and not answer for what they did in that alley to those Turks the other day? No, I want to see them,” said Kitty with a stern look. 
  
“Aww big sis, it’s not their fault. You know how those two get when someone tries to touch me,” said Rica with an evil grin. 
  
“Right, your two pit bulls.” Kitty squinted her eyes at Rica. “You didn’t order them to kill Serhat, and his two goons in that alley, did you?” 
  
“Not at all,” said Rica. 
  
“Yet you are aware those hits are on you, because your dogs wear your collars, Rica!” 
  
“Yes, they do.” Rica remained composed, “But big sis, Serhat and his goons only got what was coming to them. And plus, under duress, Serhat provided information that led us to Rafa and Kadir today-” 
  
“Who you killed today!” Kitty growled. 
  
“I didn't plan it. I told you I ordered Ko here to observe and report.” Rica looked at Ko, “But the kid is stubborn, what can I say?” 
  
“Yeah, what can you say?” 
  
“Exactly, you get me big sis!” Rica smiled. 
  
Kitty squinted at her, “Rica!” 
  
Ko shifted listening to their odd conversation. But he was clear on one part. The Turks in the alley were killed by two men named Bling and Ian. They must be the guys in the dark SUV that tailed Ko and Rica outside the tea shop the other morning. Rica’s so called Brute men. 
  
“Hey, I’m talking to you!” Kitty barked at Ko. 
  
“Yes?” Ko asked. 
  
“Why’d you kill those men today when Rica told you to observe and report?” Kitty asked. 
  
“Ah,” Ko stood tall to answer, “When I snuck in their warehouse, I discovered a freezer filled with kilos of heroine.” 
  
“Yeah, so what?” Kitty asked. 
  
“From what I saw, they stopped drug processing work at that facility and were ready to move everything out. Which concludes Rafa and Kadir were prepping the Turks for a war from some other location,” said Ko. 
  
Kitty squinted, “So you killed them right then and there so they wouldn’t get away?” 
  
“That and because they’re our enemies and should be dead,” he said, conveniently leaving out the part of revenge against them for killing Kayla’s uncles. Or the part where he saw Jun-Seo in that warehouse. 
  
“It’s not your place to decide that,” said Kitty. 
  
“He saved us the trouble of finding them later, big sis,” Rica interjected. “Not to mention the drugs the cops found. A bunch of that gang is going down.” 
  
Kitty stood up. “Alright. I’ve heard enough.” She stepped in front of the desk, “Has it ever occurred to you impatient kids that we were taking a long view, gathering more intel-” 
  
“But Ms. Kitty,” Ko interrupted, “Rafa and Kadir were poised to strike-” 
  
“Hey!” Kitty growled, “You cut me off again and you can tell your story walking!” 
  
Ko lowered his eyes, “I apologize, I didn’t mean-” 
  
“Apology noted. But you know, amazingly, I don’t hold you responsible, Ko. Not entirely anyway,” said Kitty, glaring daggers at Rica, until.. 
  
“Jeezis Kitty, you sound just like daddy used to when he got all mad. Will you lighten up?” Tara barked from behind the desk. 
  
“But this is a serious matter, Tara,” said Kitty. 
  
“Ai-yaa,” Tara yawned, putting her game down, and looking at Rica. “Yo Rica, so you got a new plan now that you blew this one? I mean now we got no more intel. I don’t know where any other Turks are, let alone Ahmed!” 
  
Ahmed, that’s the Turk Boss, Ko recalled. Tara wants to find him. 
  
“How soon do you want him?” Rica asked. 
  
“Yesterday is good, ain't that right Kitty? Hahaha!” said Tara giggling at Kitty. 
  
“Ai, Tara!” Kitty scowled and turned to Rica and Ko. “You two mechanics, not only do you have to find Ahmed, you have to stop whatever little retaliation he’s got planned. Our guess is he’ll hit a soft target against us, maybe a few at once,” said Kitty. 
  
Rica disagreed, “Ahmed has no plan now, Ko took out his lieutenants.” 
  
“Oh please, like he doesn’t have more?” Kitty growled. “You know they grow those fuckin guys in Brooklyn.” 
  
Tara stood up, “Ya’ll are boring me.” Her eyes landed on Ko, “Hee!” she smiled and hopped over the desk. 
  
“Eh?” Ko averted his eyes as the Boss of All Bosses in New York City. Who, just happened to be a hot Cantonese woman named Bad Tara, walked toward him, smiling. 
  
Wow, America is a strange place~ He thought as, boss Tara slapped her hand on the wall behind him. Like a slim tomboy school bully. Ko gulped. 
  
“How old are you?” Tara asked. 
  
“Seventeen.” 
  
“Jeez! Man, you know, I thought me and my sister were bad kids. But you two,” she glanced at Rica. “Ya’ll broke the mold.” She looked at Ko. “And seventeen is the age of consent in New York, cutie,” she said, lifting his chin with her finger. 
  
Ko’s eyes met hers. “My age doesn’t determine my consent.” 
  
“What?” The room fell silent before all the girls burst out laughing. “Haha, this kid is a riot,” said Tara, looking him up and down. “Hey Rica?” 
  
“Yes, big sis Tara?” Rica answered. 
  
“Is he your hunting dog?” Tara asked, her eyes locked in Ko’s glass brown eyes. 
  
Rica hesitated, “I think so.” 
  
“Well, he’s a pretty one. But not too obedient, yet.” 
  
“The best are never obedient, big sis,” said Rica. 
  
“Heh heh, yeah you’re right. But put a leash on him anyway,” Tara whispered. Her tone serious.  
  
“I will.” 
  
“I know you will. Because when your dog shits everywhere it reflects badly on the owner. You follow?” 
  
Rica lowered her eyes. “Yes, I follow.” 
  
“Um hm, and what about you, boy-band?” Tara evil smiled at Ko. “You think Rica’s hot? Because she is.” 
  
“Big sis!!” Rica cried at Tara with an embarrassed expression. Ko also blushed, and kept his eyes lowered. 
  
Kitty shook her head. “Really Tara? You have no couth!” 
  
“Hey, I got plenty-a-couth! I'm just letting these horny kids know that they ain’t got me fooled, is all!” She slapped Ko on his shoulder, “Ha, you ain’t tricking me, pretty boy! But I’ll warn you now. My beautiful little sister Rica is a handful, and worse than that she’s a virgin too! Haha!” 
  
“Tara!” Rica yelled, hiding her face in her hands. While Ko turned tomato red. 
  
Kitty squinted at Tara, “Are you done?” 
  
“Done with what? What did I do? Heh heh, you all need to lighten up!” 
  
To an outsider it would appear that boss Tara was an adolescent thug, and not too bright at that. But Ko clearly saw the meaning in Tara’s schoolyard taunting. Unlike her sister Kitty who chose to lecture Rica about her decisions, Tara opted to humble Rica, and Ko. Her teasing antics about their age, and possible carnal desires, were designed to remind the teens to step back from their own hubris. 
  
Ko caught all of it, and was certain Rica did too. In that moment he found an odd respect for the colorful, and beautiful, boss Bad Tara. After a few more laughs Ko and Rica got up to leave, but Kitty had one more thing. 
  
“Hey, Kpop! Give me your car keys,” she said to Ko. 
  
“Hm? What do you need with my car keys?” Ko asked, subconsciously removing them from his pocket. 
  
“Are you kidding? You may be some kind of ninja, but the cops are gonna scour every lead they can after that stunt you pulled in Brooklyn today. The last thing you need is to be stopped in a wanted car, now gimme your keys.” 
  
“Eh?” Ko looked at Rica, who shrugged at him. He handed the car keys to Kitty. “So, how do we get home?” In his mind he figured they’d get a ride. 
  
Tara and Rica laughed at Ko, “Haha! This kid.” 
  
But Kitty squinted at him. “You do like every New Yorker does. You take the subway.” 
  
“Oh,” said Ko, totally oblivious to the city’s underground metro system. Since the first day he arrived he’d driven a car. A train would be new. “Right, the subway.” 
  
“Heh heh, come on Ko. Let’s get out of here before they laugh us out,” said Rica, tugging his arm. 
  
As they exited the studio Ko pondered their new mission. 
  
...Find Boss Ahmed, before he retaliates.