Black Market Merchant

Chapter 152: Considering a Switch
Leaving the Arena behind Lisa felt relieved, disappointed and perplexed all at the same time. She had won the bet with Jackson, but lost the permission to freely fight in the MFA, and yet still helped Hanna take care of another killer; but now what? What would be her next best move to further reach her goals? It almost felt like she was running towards the future with no real plans. It seemed now was the time to make some.

While her group and Jackson were heading towards the fountain near the front middle of the compound, Lisa pondered what to speak with Jackson about. How could she get Jackson to join her and stay out of further suspicion? It seemed that Xander is going to be a tricky one to deal with. Thankfully, it seemed that Jackson and Xander were not on good terms, but would that be helpful for her?

Benny walked alongside Lisa and leaned close towards her. ”Lisa?”

”Yeah?” Lisa answered softly pushing her thoughts aside.

Benny cupped a hand near his mouth to continue speaking in hushed tones. ”I think we should split up. I’ll take Hanna, Sadie and Wayne out of here and meet up with John outside. You can meet up with us later at the dam.”

”That should be fine.” Lisa replied softly. ”Things are definitely not at all stable right now. Getting them away is for the best. I’ll think of some excuse to get you guys to leave.”

”Alright.” Benny said with a nod and slowing his pace to get next to Hanna.

Once they reached the fountain area, Jackson stopped to speak. ”Here should be fine. There’s not many people around here, so we can speak freely.”

”Sounds fine to me.” Lisa replied looking around at the nicely decorated fountain and shrubbery. Then taking a seat on the fountain pools edge, she gestured towards the group. ”We all don’t need to be present to talk. How about the others go ahead on home and Zane and I can stay to chat? They don’t have much to offer at the moment anyway.”

Jackson took a glance at the four others standing beside Lisa. Straightening his black suit jacket to sit down, he replied, ”Sure, that’s fine with me. The conversation is between you and I after all.”

Sighing inwardly, Jackson thought to himself, ”I’d rather not let them all leave, but I’m by myself. Queen alone is more than I can handle. Besides, this area is for sure under heavy surveillance, so she wouldn’t dare pull anything. I just need to know her plans for now.”

”Thanks.” Lisa replied and looked at Benny giving a nod. ”I’ll see you all soon. Make sure the others are doing fine with their tasks if you can, Wayne”

”Will do!” Wayne replied oblivious to the event that had taken place during the time he was writing his report down.

Lisa and Jackson waited for them to go before speaking again. No one bothered them as they left the compound safely. Zane stood behind Lisa with his arms crossed and glanced around at the occasional person walking nearby. ‘It never hurts to be on alert’ was one thing he had learned being a gang lieutenant.

”So, let me get this straight.” Jackson started off, clearing his throat. ”You want to gain money, for why, I don’t know. However, you want to do it through the MFA and by fighting Boss Martinez. Care to explain to me why him? Why here? With your skills a larger city, like Moab, would have been better to go fighting in.”

”That’s easy to explain.” Lisa replied right away. ”I just happened to come along in this town and finding the dam, I knew I had an opportunity to make a stable income. The dam needs repairs and the only way to make a lot of money here is to fight. Sure, I could go to a bigger city, but that would leave the dam easy to be stolen from me. So, I can’t leave.”

Jackson thought to himself for a moment as he eyed the slim woman sitting alongside him. ”Hmm, seem about right. Especially now that we know of the dam’s ability to make electricity, we would probably end up taking it if the boss wanted too.” Then he spoke aloud. ”Even if you get that dam working and electricity produced, how is that going to be worth the struggle. Solar power is the dominant source of energy around here and even in the largest of cities. It would be hard to compete against them.”

”A fair observation.” Lisa replied swinging her loosened black hair over her shoulder. She then took off her coffin at this point and set it heavily onto the stone block pathway with a notable thud. ”I don’t intend on competing against other energy companies at all. In fact, this town could end up being the only place I supply for.”

”Then how are you going to make any money then?” Jackson asked curiously. ”This town is completely poor, and we don’t need any more power here.”

Zane was thinking the same thing as he was listening in. Yet he didn’t quite know Lisa’s full plan either. So, he elected to stay quiet for now.

Lisa grinned hearing this line of questioning. Her normally sleepy gray eyes twinkled with a bit of excitement and expectation. ”This town clearly used to be a decently sized industrial town from some of the observations I’ve done. There are a lot of factories and production buildings on the eastern side of town and some areas here on our side. If I can get them powered up, loaded with workers and start opening trade, I could rake in so much cash!”

”It’s an idea to be sure. But to be clear, you do realize that that’s not going to be possible.” Jackson said with a serious look on his face. Then absentmindedly pushing back a loose strand of white hair to join the rest of his combed black hair, he continued.

”There are nearly less than a few thousand people in town. Most of which are half starved citizens or gangsters. You couldn’t get them to actually work on anything. Who would you even sell to and what are the products? Most merchants already have connections and established trade routes. Where are you going to find anyone or anywhere that would be willing to buy from this god forgotten town? Besides, you don’t own any of these places and you’re even acting as a Squatter being at the dam. What if someone comes along claiming they own the dam? What then?”

Lisa’s gleeful expression didn’t falter. In fact, she hoped he might mention these questions. ”First, the citizens need a job to get income. I might not have much, but it is undoubtedly more than them. After getting in contact with the other side, via those construction Mech workers, I found that they are desperately in need of money to buy food. They will be the first to work for me in no time.”

”Secondly, as for the merchants, I am surprised you hadn’t done this already. This very compound already has plenty of merchants and rich people coming and going all the time. Finding anyone willing to work alongside me won’t be an issue. I even already have several such friends willing to work with me. The products will, for now, be what they want to make, but in time I will be controlling what gets made here and where it’s going.”

Jackson was about to speak, but Lisa held up her hand and continued.

”How? You might ask. That is simple, I get the deeds that are tucked away in your very own bank, wipe off the dust collecting on them and put them to use. With the deeds I could even sell the ones I don’t want to any merchants or back to the towns people. You and your boss have been slacking in your exploitation of those deeds. I can put them to better use! Even if you were to steal the idea, I am already ahead in the planning and connections.”

Lisa stopped for a moment to wait for Jackson to think all this over. There was indeed more she could explain in further detail, but it is best not to tell all her ideas to someone that is not yet on board.

Jackson was perplexed. Her plan was easy to visually imagine, but not so easy to actually carryout. There was a lot going on in her idea, but not at all impossible. However, he had to ask more questions.

”Why tell me all this? I could steal your idea and do it myself. With the manpower at my disposal your lead wouldn’t matter. I don’t know how you learned about the deeds being in our possession, but I could keep them for myself.”

”Oh, you won’t do such a thing.” Lisa replied waving him off.

”Oh? Why’s that?” Jackson replied raising an eyebrow.

”Because of your leash, you silly Mad Dog.” Lisa said with a light chuckle. ”Martinez hasn’t thought of this at all it seems. I also now know that you gangsters have a factory yourselves. My guess, since you’re gangsters, it’s something illegal like weapons or drugs.”

Jackson held a stony expression. That factory wasn’t supposed to be known by many others outside the gang. Rickshaw let it slip earlier and she clearly was paying attention. That factory was the sole reason that the gang was out here. To make drugs and serum’s out of the jurisdiction of authorities and sell it in mass.

”I’ll take your silence as a yes.” Lisa continued after the moments pause. ”As for why I am telling you this is because you handle the money around here. I need you for two reasons. Mainly to work for me doing the same as you are now and to help me control the gang.”

”What? Don’t tell me you’re still going on about trying to take us over?” Jackson said raising his voice but holding back from shouting. ”You are not one of us and could never tell us what to do!”

”That might be the case, for now. I don’t think you sense the weak threads holding the gang together.” Lisa replied putting a finger to her thin lips to tap them in mock thought.

”What do you mean, ’for now’?” Jackson asked hotly. This woman’s attitude was getting a bit to sassy for her own good.

Lisa, being unbothered by his reactions, continued, ”I have been around here enough to tell that a lot of your gangsters actually were once people of this town. I believe that once they have an opportunity to earn more elsewhere or finally have someone better to follow, they will give up being gangsters. That would probably cause a civil war in the gang and I need your help to make that not happen. Back me when I take out Martinez and your position will be secure. Additionally, you will have more work by making me even more money by managing the funds for my plan and companies. You, in turn, will profit greatly as well.”

Jackson was silent. This seemed too good, too high spirited and too risky. There was a lot of risk involved going against Martinez who he knew was a force not to be taken lightly. He hadn’t much reason to sever ties with the gang either. Yet, this was also too tempting to let go entirely.

”What if you lose to Martinez? I won’t be putting myself at risk for you just to kick the bucket and I lose everything!” Jackson asked.

”Nothing.” Lisa said flatly giving a shrug. ”You only need to support me if I win. If I lose, then that’s that. You keep going on like usual and if I’m dead, you can even steal my plan for the dam.”

”Still, what is stopping me from doing all this without you?” Jackson asked again. Though his tone was starting to sound different, more interested.

”Because you are not the leader type and Martinez seems too dumb to make this work.” Lisa replied. Then she smiles in thought, ”Now to get him hooked with this idea.”

”I could also try getting any other Mad Dog lieutenant to support me too. That fellow, Xander, might not like me yet, but he seems like the type that could see the benefit in this for him.”

This seemed to strike a nerve in Jackson. He looked at her with a darkened stare for a moment before asking, ”What’s the second thing you wanted me to do? I’m not agreeing to anything, mind you.”

”Easy.” Lisa answered as a smirk played on her face. ”Give me the deed to the dam and that will be a sign that you agreed to support me.”