Collateral Damage

Chapter 2

The bar reeked of alcohol and sweat. The dim lights did little to hide the bruises and scars on the patrons' bodies. The sound of drunken laughter and occasional breaking of glass rang through the room.
The second Col and Texas stepped outside the city limits, the cold air and rain plagued them. A little bell rang as they stepped inside the old bar. Col walked up to the bar and Texas followed suit.
"Why are we here?" Texas asked under her breath.
"To see some friends."
Col began looking for the black pixie cut and skull patterns. It wasn't hard to find. The girl turned around revealing purple streaks in the long part of her bangs and brown eyes behind thick framed glasses.
"Marie, we need your help." Col began.
Realization flashed across Marie's round, tan face and Col cracked a half-smile.
"Col! What are you–" She stopped abruptly and looked Col up and down.
"You look god-awful."
"I'm fine. We need your help." Col repeated and looked around.
"Where is Amara?"
Marie ignored her and turned around to grab a bottle of vodka and threw a clean white rag over her shoulder. Her false gauges knocked against the side of her neck as she moved. Finally, she picked up a glass jar and stood by the door.
"Everybody out! We're closing! Don't forget to drop off tips as you leave!" She yelled.
Col almost laughed as the burly men looked at the short, stout girl who had just yelled at them to leave... until they stood up and bustled in a clumsy herd out the door without protest.
Marie then carried an overflowing jar back to the bar and placed it in its spot.
"Come with me." She said.
No longer fazed, Col followed Marie to the back room where she knew there was a crawl space behind the pantry cabinet. She glanced at Texas who obviously hadn't recovered her shock yet. Col smirked and turned to watch Marie squeeze through the hole and into the darkness.
"So friends, huh? How come I never knew about them?" Texas questioned.
Col just shrugged.
"Sneaking out isn't as hard as you think it would be."
"To a bar?"
"I'm not here for the drinks." Col replied flatly and crawled after Marie.
Col hated this the most. Pitch black and suffocating, the downhill slope was almost intimidating as it went on. And on. And on.
Soon however, the familiar sound of distant  bellowing rang in her ears like music. She smiled as she saw the hazy light emanating from the hole that was hastily chopped to provide entrance to a secret room. Well, room was modest. It was more of a cavern.
She stood up and examined the second bar, much smaller than the one up stairs to make room for the main attraction: the Ring.
The Ring was a 20 foot circular fight cage with chainlink 10 feet high, and results of the fights were brutal. It was here where Col loved to spend her time mentally practicing her skills, and sometimes even physically participated. The losing participant this time was her friend Amara. If Marie was considered short, Amara was a gnome.
The 5' 3" warrior was in the corner slumped against the cage wiping blood from her lip. She laughed with maniacal rage as the winner (a large bald man with a stereotypical biker mustache) stood in the center cheering. The crowd roared for more. Col didn't even bother seeing the next poor contender to take this man. Col and Marie left Texas to sit on a bar stool, taking in all of the mob. Col leaned against the cage as Marie dragged a flailing Amara out of the cage.
"Sit still!"
"No! That was a dirty move! Rematch! Rematch!"
"Honestly Amara, if you don't stop squirming I'll make you pay for your next round!"
That had quieted the girl. Marie pulled her to her feet and Amara quickly brushed her rusty dyed hair from her face. As the adrenaline began to fail her, she looked Col up and down. "Oi! Is the Champ!" Her words came out clumsy and slurred.
"Shut up, will you? I don't have time for this." Col felt herself itching to fight despite her irritation. Amara ignored her and raised her voice.
"Who wants tuh challenge the Champ!"
"Amara please—"
She covered Col's lips with her hand and Col resisted the urge to break it. Amara pointed to the big man in the Ring and stumbled towards him.
"You sir! I'll bet you tha muh fren here can kick yuh—"
"Amara!" Marie interjected. Col just stood in silence.
The big man just laughed.
"You have no more money little girl!"
Amara smiled her scheming smile and stood on a chair to get at eye level.
"I'll bet you all uh Miss Marie's tips for tuhnight. If you lose, I get all my losings back."
Marie lunged, but Col stuck out a hand to stop her. Col watched the man tumble the thought around in his head and finally shook Amara's hand.
"Are you kidding me? Amara, that was the best collection yet! And you can't bet someone else's fight!"
"Marie. You know me. Don't worry."
That seemed to calm her a bit, but then she snapped her head towards Amara and grabbed her by the shirt.
"Amara so help me, if this bet is lost, you will be sleeping on the streets for a week like the dog you are."
Amara just giggled.
"Easy, ma."
Col rolled her shoulders a bit, and the sting of the glass cuts returned, but she ignored them entirely.
Sometimes, it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways. She thought. I've got to be more careful this time. Less reckless, equally relentless.
She stepped into the ring and as if a switch was flipped, she began to feel bloodlust. It had been a long day, and she needed to beat something.
The big man stepped into the cage. She caught a glimpse of a tattoo as he cracked his knuckles on each of his fingers (save his thumb) were the letters D-E-T-H which she assumed was supposed to be death. Col glanced back up at the man.
"You're new here aren't you?" Col asked.
"We're not here to talk little girl."
She didn't need to ask, she knew his face wasn't one of the familiars, and no self-respecting fighter would've dared called the Champion "little girl." She immediately began to size him up. He had strength definitely, but he was sluggish. Judging by his clunky stance and what he did to Amara, he's certainly a brawler. Maybe a blow in from a biker gang or—
Col was beaten from her thoughts. Literally. She fell to the ground and wiped her split lip.
"What was that?" She snapped.
"We're here to fight aren't we?" And sneered down at her, and she stood back up.
"The bell didn't ring! That was a cheap shot!"
He got so close she could feel his breath and see a gold tooth glinting in his mouth. She almost gagged.
"There is no mercy in the real world, little girl. But, at least you took it like a champ."
Col growled and before she knew it, she was slamming into the man's legs with all her force, knocking him to the ground. He landed a punch to her jaw on the way down, but she ignored it. She recovered quickly, sending a flurry of punches to the man's face in no particular pattern. Somehow, between the hits, he managed to throw Col across the Ring and to the cage. It struck a wound from the run the day before, and she winced. He saw an opportunity, and seized it with greedy hands.
Slowly, he picked Col up and threw her into the ground with incredible force. Col let out a grunt as she heard the warning crackle of her ribs. Her body screamed for her to stop. Just when she thought he was going to finish it, he turned towards the audience and bragged his supposed win. Classic mistake.
Col flung herself up with all of the strength she had left, and onto his back. Frantically, the man reached for her in a panicked attempt to free his windpipe, but Col showed no mercy. He fell to his knees and she could feel his consciousness slipping away.
"P-please... mercy." He gasped.
Caught in her rage, Col just leaned in and whispered in his ear.
"There is no mercy in the real world, little girl."
And with that he fell to the floor, unconscious.
"But hey, at least you took it like a champ."
Col stood, gripping her ribs as around six men came to drag off the victim. She licked the blood dripping from her grin, and everyone stood in silence. Texas looked around nervously, but it was soon transformed to shock once everyone began to cheer.
As Col walked out of the Ring, everyone flocked her, but no one dared touch her, and they all left an open path to the bar. There, Col retreated to lick her wounds.
*********
"You want us to what?" Marie gasped, her voice echoing across the now-empty cavern. The fights lasted well into the morning, but the bar would be closed on account of Col's victory— and the fact that Amara was nursing a massive hangover. Not like it was new.
"I know it's a lot to ask, but I can't trust anyone right now. We can't." Col cast a nervous glance at Texas who was helping wrap Col's wounds.
"So let me get this straight." She stopped, paused, and told Texas that she would handle the first-aid instead. Col breathed a silent sigh of relief. Marie continued.
"You want us to find a criminal who you only caught glimpses of on a high speed chase, meanwhile your Old Man," Col flinched, "is God knows where, we have no information on this antidote, and we're working against the 5th best funded agency in the world."
"Actually, 3rd best funded, but more or less."
They just sat there in silence.
"So what's in it for us?" Amara asked, rubbing the ice pack across her forehead.
"I think you mean, what are you in it for." Texas stated. "Col, I'm with you all the way, but we are sitting here with a bartender, a barely functional alcoholic, and two teenage fugitives with not a penny to our names. How are we going to pull this off?"
"Four." Col replied casually.
"What?"
"Four fugitives if they're in, and besides, it's not a bartender and an alcoholic. It's our medic and informations contact, and our demolition and arson expert."
"Arson?" Marie laughed.
"Demolitions?" Texas gawked.
"It was one time!" Amara whined.
Col raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, maybe four, but the one in Barcelona doesn't count."
"Barcelona? When did you go to Barcelona? How could you even afford it?" Marie prodded.
Amara just turned away.
"Whatever it is, it doesn't matter anymore. It'll be dangerous, but for a greater good." Col began.
And we'll be able to get old man out. A voice in her head said.
"Are you in or not?" Col waited.
Marie sighed.
"Fine. But you have got to rest. And I expect payment."
"Okay."
"$10,000."
Texas nearly fell off of her stool.
"What—"
"Deal. And you Amara?"
"Alright, but I'm gonna need $15,000, some old shot gun shells, rubber bands, and a bottle of vodka."
"Old man can get you whatever reward you desire once we bust him out."
Col thought for a minute.
"But we're gonna need a man on the inside. I think I know just the guy." She turned to Marie. "Is your car parked out front?"
"Yeah?"
"Grab your Get Well cards and a teddy bear. We're going to the hospital."