Chapter 12: Identified

Three days had gone by since Richard began inquiring into how to get a Match fight for Lisa versus anyone within the Mad Dog’s gang. However, every attempt to negotiate had been met with failure. No one wanted to set up a fight with some random woman that was unknown, not a member of a gang, nor not backed by some wealthy sponsor. Lisa was just a nameless nobody and that was frustrating to her.

"I'm sorry everyone." Richard sighed disheartened as he entered the Weather’s garage. "I know who to talk too to get into their place, but no one is interested. We might have to think of another way to take out the leader."

"It's alright. You did what you could." John said patting his big friends' shoulder.

Sitting in the living room, Lisa was talking with Hanna, Joan, and Mary about information from outside the town. It was rare to hear anything about what was happening outside the town, and they asked Lisa so many questions. Hanna, meanwhile, only listened to the older women talk, she wasn't all that interested. She was still very depressed and though everyone here had been so nice to her, the damage in her heart was done.

Lisa was also in a negative mood. Even though she enjoyed talking and relaxing here, she needed something to do. She was a woman of action, not of relaxation, well that is until she could afford to do so. Overhearing the men talking from the garage, Lisa decided she had enough.

Lisa patted her thighs once as she stood up from the living room couch to address the ladies. "Well ladies, it's time for me to go now. It seems the men need my help find me a fight."

Mary’s cheery face turned immediately into a frown of worry. "Are you sure you want to do this? Aren't you scared?"

Lisa looked down at the caring woman and gave a slight smile. "Of fighting against the gangsters? Nope. I've dealt with things far worse than some random gangsters."

Joan’s quiet voice cut off Mary before she could argue. "Be safe then." Joan looked at Mary and shook her head slowly.

Defeated, Mary sighed. “If you insist. Just don’t get yourself hurt out there, ok?”

"I will. Dinner was amazing these past few nights Mary and Joan. I really appreciate all you've done." Lisa replied sincerely.

Leaving the living room, Lisa walked into the garage and passed right between the two men. "Come on guys. Let's go figure this out my way."

The two men looked at each other puzzled. Then they followed Lisa out of the garage and towards the house’s front door.

"Where are we going?" John asked.

Lisa gave John a sly wink and pointed at Richard. "Richard, take me to wherever a Match competitor is. I don't care who."

Lisa then picked up her coffin that was leaning on the wall next to the open front door. Turning around she looked at the dumbfounded faces of the two grown men. Lisa stifled a laugh and gave then an expectant shrug.

The two men glanced at each other again and Richard replied. “Fine, just give us a moment.

The two of them stepped back inside and hurriedly said farewell to their wives before scrambling after Lisa. Lisa at this point was rounding the street corner and about to disappear. Apparently, she had no intentions of waiting for them.

As she led the way Lisa thought to herself. "It seems like the old saying is still true today. If something can't get done right, do it yourself."

The two guys eventually caught up to her. It was then Richard pointed out the way they needed to be heading. They were silent for a while before John finally asked Lisa a question. "I'm not sure what you have in mind but I don't see how you can convince anyone to set up a fight with you?"

Lisa sighed. "I won't be going to set up a fight, but to start one."

"What are you talking about?" John asked confused. "If you just barge into the gangster’s hideout and start up something, nothing good will come of it."

Lisa didn't reply right away, like she normally did, but continued heading towards their destination. They were soon in an area where the gangsters would hang out in some local bars that somehow had managed to stay in business. Only those that had connections to the outside world could bring such imported items into town.

Richard pointed at on particular bar named, The Ragged Flagon. “That’s where I had the most luck talking with the Mad Dogs.”

Lisa couldn't help but laugh to herself. Her father had once mentioned a game that had a similar name in it, and he was obsessed with playing it. It was extremely odd that a bar name like this had lasted several hundred years.

Straightening herself out, Lisa walked up to the bar door and turned to finally answer John. "Don't worry John, I do have a plan."

Looking through a gunshot hole in the door, Lisa could see in the dim interior that the place was packed with many customers. They were a raggedy lot, and from the arm band symbols on them, many of them were part of the Mad Dog gang. After spending some time fighting and observing the gangsters, Lisa had learned how to identify who was worth talking too within the gang. If they had a gray armband, they were a lower rank, and a red armband meant they were higher in rank.

However, the Mad Dogs’ main way of identification was a small tattoo of a dog’s paw print put over the spot on their forearm where their identification chip had been installed. This way they would always be known as a core member of the Mad Dogs, even if the symbol of the snarling dog wasn't being displayed on a gray or red armband. Tattoo identification was a common practice among gangs in rural areas.

"Richard, you see any Match Fighter’s in here?" Lisa asked while taking a step back for Richard look.

The big guy leaned down and peered inside. Richard replied a few seconds later. "Yep, in-fact I see two. They both are sitting on the table in the far-left corner at the end of the bar."

"Really? Let me see." John said as he went to look through the hole. Suddenly, someone opened the door to leave and whacked John in the forehead! "Ouch!" John shouted jumping back while rubbing his head.

The man that was leaving then fully pushed open the door again and looked at John with an odd expression. He didn't say anything to John who was still rubbing his head while glaring back at him. The other two, however, laughed loudly seeing the look on John’s face when the door slammed into it.

"Shut up!" John mumbled looking embarrassed.

"Oh well, wish me luck." Lisa said grabbing the closing door to enter. Then in a tense, low voice she said. "Might be best for you two to stay out here. Probably going to be a bit messy in there."

The two wanted to go in, but she sounded serious. So, they just stood outside with the door propped open and watched. As Lisa walked inside, she started making heavy footsteps to help draw attention.

"Hey, I have been looking for you!" Lisa suddenly called out.

The room fell dead silent as everyone stopped drinking and talking to look at her. They were surprised to see such a young, tall, and pretty woman had entered the bar. Instantly men began gawking at her and nudging their buddies next to them trying to get them to talk to her.

"Are you looking for me, beautiful?" Someone called from the right side of the room.

"I'm over here baby!" Another called from the opposite side.

Ignoring them, Lisa confidently continued walking down the middle of the room towards the bar. Her boots still stomping heavily, and she held a cross expression on her face.

"I sent someone to set up a meeting with you, but you ignored me. How mean!" Lisa said loudly in a cutie sounding voice.

Someone whistled at her. Then she looked at the table Richard mentioned while exaggeratively crossing her arms under her chest.

Four men were sitting there, and she instantly could see who her opponents were. The first guy was bald and had a small pointy mustache and with well-rounded muscles all over his body. He looked like a man that might perform lifting stunts in a circus. The other guy, though sitting, Lisa could tell he was huge, even bigger than Richard. He had long black hair that covered up his face, so she couldn't see him too well. But his body size was no smaller than the other man across the table. The other two men had to of been their handlers or manager's, they looked nothing special.

"You two." Lisa said still using her cutie voice and pointing at them accusingly. "Why won't you pay attention to me?"

The two men glanced at her in total confusion. "Do we know you?" The bald guy asked.

"You should have!" Lisa gasped with exaggeration. Then putting her hands on her hips, she said, "Can't you tell by looking at me?"

The bald guy shook his head 'no'.

Lisa sneered and exchanged her cutie voice for a threatening one. "Well then, does this help?"

With that said, Lisa quickly swung off her coffin and used it to crush the table next to her! The patrons sitting there were knocked back out of their seats as splinters and board fragments flew. The room let out a collective awed response and immediately the cat calling stopped.

"I'm that 'Coffin Lady'. I beat several of your guys a few days ago. I want to challenge both of you to a Match." Lisa announced before pausing for a moment.

There had been a rumor in town that several of Mad Dog Fighters had been beaten badly and that a woman with a coffin was responsible, but one believed it. Now she was here and from the way she crushed the table was all the proof they needed.

"What do you want, little girl?" The black-haired guy said rising slowly rising from his seat. He was even taller than she thought. His head nearly hit the powerless lights hanging from the ceiling.

"I want to see your gang boss and get something from him." Lisa answered taking off her leather jacket and tossed it onto the top of the coffin. Then she took off her Yankees hat and shook her jet-black hair loose. Again, unable to hold off, someone whistled at her.

"You are joking?" The bald man asked also getting up.

Lisa stretched and flexed her arms. "Nope. If you win you get whatever you want from me. Sound fair?"

Then she suddenly picked up a bar stool and chucked it at them. They ducked to the side, surprised by the sudden attack. Then with equal surprise they saw the stool leg punctured the wall and stuck there! The bald guy snarled knowing that this was no mere threat and charged Lisa.

The two collided as he tried to tackle her and slam her smaller frame to the ground, but Lisa was ready. She met him head on and they collided with such force it looked like two sumo wrestlers making contact. The crowded room was a buzz of excitement as many people cleared out of the way and cheered seeing them fight. No one expected Lisa to be this strong. Neither did the bald guy. He struggled greatly to knock her back.

"Who are you?” The bald man grunted. “You're not a Match Fighter competitor, I would have heard of you."

Lisa gave a brazen smile. "I'm your worst nightmare! Call me Queen."