Chinatown- Nine pm 
  
After leaving the party the teens drove to boss Tara’s Kung fu studio in Chinatown. While ascending the stairs in the building Ko defended his actions to Rica. 
  
“I didn’t kiss Donna, she was drunk and kissed me! But that’s beside the point-” 
  
“Yes, yes! Ko, I heard you the first ten times! She’s working at Jun-Seo’s club now and she needed to stick her tongue in your mouth to tell you!” Rica growled. 
  
“What?” Ko couldn’t believe her. “Rica, are you serious right now? I just told you Donna could be in a bad way with our enemy and you don’t seem to care!” 
  
Rica jutted her finger in his chest, “Listen you dog! Don’t you ever presume to tell me what I do and do not care about and if my attitude offends you then you can go fuck yourself!” She stormed up the steps. 
  
“Rica!” He called out, but she ignored him. “Dammit.” 
  
War Room 
  
Ko walked into a studio filled with Tara’s capos and soldiers. Twenty grim faced killers huddled around her, all listening to a call on speaker phone. Kitty looked up at Ko and made the Shush! gesture with her finger. Ko kept his mouth shut as a sinister voice threatened on the other end of the line. 
  
“It’s called attrition you bitch! It’s what I have, time, numbers, money, and fuck you! Now you saw what happened to your cash depot and your men, and that’s only the beginning, Tara! Because I’m telling you now, you don’t have the resources to handle me you slant cunt!” A heavy Turkish accent thundered on the line. “Do you hear me?” 
  
Tara grit her teeth, and calmly answered. “Ahmed, you ain't nothing but a superficial motherfucker, and I promise to god, when my wolves catch you alive…” She shook her head, “You and I will have this conversation again!” Click! 
  
Tara hung up to a dead silence in the studio as her men stared at her, waiting for her word. She stood up and stared back at them.  
  
“Can you believe that simple unhinged motherfucker dared to threaten us? Hunh? Can you fucking believe that low life son of a bitch is tired of our crumbs so now he decides he wants to take food out of our mouths?” 
  
Her men snarled, “He’s a dead man walking, boss!”

“You goddamn right he is!” Tara screamed,  “Now I been holding back for too long letting that fool exist in our city. Like I went fuckin soft, but not no more cause that son of bitch has forced me to take the leash off my pack of angry wolves!” she howled. 
  
And her men howled back in fury alongside their boss. Her wolves threatened to tear Ahmed limb from limb, and skin him alive for he what he did. But Tara wasn’t finished. 
  
“Now goddammit you killers ain’t got shit else to do in this city but to Bring me that motherfucker alive!"
  
The studio erupted in blood curdling shouts as the brute’s beloved boss Tara’s whipped them into a frenzy. Ko nodded at the scene, witnessing first hand how fiercely loyal Tara’s men were to her. They would burn this city down if she ordered it. 
  
As the brutes shouted Ko learned the Turks killed two of Tara’s men. One of them a well liked soldier from Rica’s crew named Tommy, who went out shooting. Ko glanced over at the angry Rica speaking with Bling and Ian. The expression on their faces said it all… 
  
...Rica wants him dead... 
  
But as the fervor for revenge boiled in the studio the sting of guilt struck Ko. This is my fault. 
  
He walked over to Tara who turned from her men to acknowledge him. “What’s up, killer?” 
  
“Boss Tara, Jun-Seo Kim is how the Turks knew of the cash depots since the Hans and the Kims used to work together. And If I would’ve gotten to Jun-Seo when I had the chance none of this would have happened,” said Ko. 
  
Tara squinted at him, “Yeah? Well guess what? If “if” was a “fifth” of whiskey we’d all be drunk now, wouldn’t we?” 
  
“Hunh?” Ko stepped back stunned at her playful answer. “Right, but boss Tara.” 
  
“Yo?” 
  
“That guy Ahmed on the phone. He was just leading you on.” Ko moved close to the beautiful Tara. “He’s not interested in a war on the street. No, he’s probably hired a professional to kill you.” 
  
Tara cracked a cruel grin, “So you got all that from that phone call hunh? Hmm.” She placed her hand on his shoulder. “Seems you and me think a lot alike, heh!” She winked at him, then looked over at Rica. “Yo Rica, come here!” Rica stepped over. 
  
“Yes, big sis?” 
  
“What happened the other night in Brooklyn? And tell me the truth!” Tara asked, with a stern undertone to her young protege. 
  
Rica grit her teeth, avoiding eye contact with Ko. “Big sis, Ahmed’s guys that attacked us were expecting a sniper and were waiting to ambush us in the building when we set up.” She lowered her eyes. “I originally wanted to go hot, but Ko insisted we stake the area one more time.” Rica trailed off. 
  
“Hmm,” said Tara glaring at Rica. “So they were gonna ambush you in the building? But since you didn’t go in the building they tried to attack you while ya’ll were driving?” 
  
“Yes,” Rica answered, looking away. 
  
“So then it’s a good thing Ko told you not to go in that building that night, yeah?” Tara asked. 
  
“Yes, big Sis.” Rica scowled at Ko, “If Ko hadn’t made the call to keep staking the area. I..I mean we, would’ve been dead in Brooklyn right now.” 
  
“Oh yeah?” Tara eyed both Ko and Rica. “From the way I hear your ass would be dead now if Ko didn’t crash that truck and fire a forty-five at those Turks that had you in their crosshairs. Or did I mis-hear that part of the story?” 
  
“Tch!” Rica growled and looked at Tara, “Every dog has their day-’ 
  
“Yup and I root for those underdogs,” said Tara shutting Rica down. “So whatever lover’s spat you and boy-band here have going on, you need to squash it now, because I need all of my hitters at the ready! Do you hear me?” 
  
“Ah?” Rica turned red as Tara glared at her. “Yes big sis, I hear you,” she answered, then looked at Ko with evil. “Hunting dog, I gotta check a few things out with the boys for Tara, so you’re gonna make yourself useful, and stay here and guard her!” 
  
“Yeah, guard me!” Tara smiled at Ko. 
  
“Fine,” Ko said with a deadpan expression. It seemed Rica was still upset about Donna. But if you asked her she’d swear she wasn’t….chicks. 
  
While Ko muttered to himself Rica’s two wolves, Bling and Ian, walked over to him. 
  
“I hear you took a bullet for little boss,” said Bling. 
  
“Yeah, heard you did the right thing!” Ian snarled. 
  
Ko didn’t particularly care for these two men. But apparently they were more trusted by Rica than he was. “I did what I had to do to protect Rica,” he answered. 
  
The two brutes grinned. “Like I said, you did the right thing,” said Ian. 
  
“Eh?” Oh? They’re congratulating me? That’s cool, I guess. 
  
Ko glanced over at Rica. She crossed her arms and pouted watching Bling and Ian cheer him for protecting her. “Hmph!” she grunted. 
  
Then Bling spoke. “Good job memorizing them license plates, too.” 
  
“Yeah,” said Ian, “We got a lead. And once we find that motherfucker and milk him for everything he know, heh heh heh.” Both brutes chuckled and took their place behind Rica. 
  
Rica glanced up at them, then back at Ko. Her mean girl expression faded as everyone praised the teen bodyguard. At the moment he was a favorite. 
  
Rica walked up to him and whispered, “Don’t get cocky. You still wear my collar.” 
  
Ko bowed, “Of course I do, boss.” The teens then glared at each other with eyes of both contempt and lust. Until Tara broke it up. 
  
“Hey, you and your boys get lost!” Tara said to Rica, while wrapping her arm around Ko. “And remember you blew it little girl, because boy-band is my date now! Heh heh heh heh heh!” Tara cackled. 
  
“Fine big sis, he’s all yours!” Rica grumped walking out of the studio, then added, “But do be careful. Bad dogs attract bitches.” 
  
“Eh?” Tara blushed, “Man, I don’t care. A mutt this pretty I’ll take with fleas and everything, hee hee!” 
  
“Nya, big sis!” Rica walked out giggling with a head shake, leaving Ko alone with Tara. And Tara pounced quick. 
  
“Now, Ko?” 
  
“Yes, boss Tara.” 
  
“So Ahmed is going to send a professional to kill me, huh?” she asked. 
  
“I’m certain he will.” 
  
“Then tell me something, Killer-Ko.” She sat down at a folding table. “Suppose Ahmed hired you to kill me.” Her eyes narrowed. “How would you go about doing it?” 
  
“Hmm.” Ko sat down on a chair next to her. “Boss Tara. If I were hired to kill you, I’d have several avenues of approach I could use. Would you like to hear them?” 
  
“Heh heh heh!” Tara smirked at him. “Killer-Ko, you have my undivided attention, you underage cutey~” 
  
“Indeed.” Ko nodded in approval at Boss Tara. He plainly saw why her men would kill and die for her. For even he admired Tara’s leadership style. An odd, violent woman, with a level of maturity Rica hadn't reached yet. 
  
Hmph! Rica’s a troublesome girl, he thought. But as Ko began his talk with Tara… 
  
...He missed his little boss... 
  
  
  
*Author’s note about Bad Tara and Kitty: 

The Outlaw Sisters: Bad Tara and Kitty

  
Although Rica is referred to affectionately by her men as little boss, technically only Bad Tara is a true Boss. Tara is the Capo de Tuti or Boss of All Bosses and its Bad Tara’s gang. Rica Reyes is actually a Capodecina: meaning, “A captain of ten.” Commonly known as a Capo. 
  
Tara’s sister Kitty is also referred to as a boss but technically she is Tara’s Consiliary (counsel) although Kitty’s word is also the law in this gang.