The Golden Ring Saloon in San Francisco wasn’t exactly where she wanted to be right now, but hey…a job was a job. And according to her boss, the man she had been sent to apprehend was a big fan of the girls there. And here she was…going undercover…wearing the skimpiest outfit on this side of the West Coast. A black and red satin dress that clung to her curves, and black fishnet stockings.

Her brown eyes narrowed slightly. There had been a time when her life had been full of nothing but happiness and peace. Until her father died. It was then that she decided to become a detective, following in her father’s footsteps. A woman detective wasn’t very common in this area, but she was good at her job…and her boss loved to joke around with her, saying that men get caught off-guard…and they’d never suspect a woman trailing after them. She shook her head, smiling wryly. Her boss was quite a character. He was more like a big brother actually, if you could call such a chauvinistic lunkhead a brother…

She looked around, wondering when her target would show up. In one corner of the room, a woman with unusual hair sat admiring herself in a mirror, looking positively bored. The detective knew who she was. She was Morrigan, the owner of this…business. Morrigan had looked at her with suspicion when she first hired her as a waitress. Not that the detective blamed her. Her reasons for working here were different than most of the others.

She noticed a tall, lean man enter the saloon. He was young, good-looking, and he wore dark blue denim pants, black boots, a white collared shirt, black vest, and a white hat with a black band around it. He headed straight to the gambling table.

“How is everyone doing today?” he asked.

The four men greeted him. The man obviously knew the group. She headed in his direction, placing a napkin in front of him.

“Anything to drink?” she asked.

He studied her before answering, “Water. Are you new here?”

“Just started last week,” she informed before leaving to serve him.

Moments later, she returned, with a cup of water and ice. Suddenly, the doors of the saloon swung open.

“Where are ya, kid? I know you’re hiding in here!” the stranger was a man who was around forty years old. He pulled out his Colt and fired a warning shot in the air.

Everyone ducked under the tables, hating it when a good afternoon was ruined. The detective peered above the top of the table. She couldn’t believe her good luck! That was him! Her target.

The young man beside her swore softly. “He’s never going to give up…” Then he raised his voice, “Take it easy, Roger. I’m right here.”

“Stand where I can see you!”

The man grimaced slightly.

The detective placed her hand on his arm. “No, don’t! He’ll kill you.”

He shrugged. “I feel lucky today, miss.” He rose to his feet, while she peeked at her target from behind the table.

“There ya are, boy…you owe me quite a bit of money…” Roger stated.

The young man frowned, detecting the slurs in his speech. There was nothing worse than a drunk adversary.

“You’re a sore loser, Roger. You gambled, you lost…that’s all there is to it,” he spoke calmly.

Roger didn’t notice that a spectator was coming up from behind him, ready to jump him while he was distracted.

“Nah, you cheated, that’s all there is to it,” Roger retorted, mimicking him.

Suddenly, a shot went off as the spectator jumped on Roger, trying to wrestle the gun away from him. The young man snatched the detective by the wrists and practically dragged her after him, as he hid behind the bar, which was to Roger’s right side. The two ducked behind the far end.

“I think I can handle him,” the detective announced.

He looked at her, a wry smile crossing his lips. “Think so?”

She held up a badge. “I’m a detective going undercover. And that’s my target. He’s wanted in three states for destroying property.”

He shook his head. “He’s after me since he thinks I cheated when we were gambling. We’ve played five times and he’s lost five times. Even if you’re a detective, you shouldn’t get involved in this.”

“Stop hiding, you chicken!” Roger cried out.

“Why?” she demanded. “Because I’m a woman?! Listen, I’ve got a job to do…and you can either help me, or spend a night in jail for obstructing justice.”

Knowing when to admit defeat, he quipped, “Well, I can’t say no to the lady right now, can I?”

“Thank you.” She turned her back to him and hitched up her skirt to mid-thigh length to remove the Derringer she had strapped to her garters.

He got a peek of a long shapely leg. When she turned back, she caught him staring at her.

“What?” she asked, almost annoyed.

“Nothing.” The smile he gave her enhanced his boyish good looks, and his eyes held a new respect for her. “It’s just that if I was a criminal…I wouldn’t mind getting caught by you.”

He was charming, in a way, and he was willing to help her, so she wouldn’t smack him upside the head for saying such a thing.

“Since you’re helping me…we might as well introduce ourselves.” She winced as Roger fired a shot into the air. “I’m Chun Li.”

He touched the brim of his hat in a chivalrous gesture. “My name is Kyo.”