I grab my wine glass and simply clamp my teeth down on the cold lip, trying to quiet my anxiety. Slade doesn't notice, he's too busy cutting his steak.

This is terrible, this is like a date! And I haven't been on a date in years. My last one was with Harry, one of the guys on my squad. And like most dates, it ended with a kiss. Which wasn't terrible, but I wasn't attracted to him so it led to nothing more. Difference?

I am attracted to Slade. What if he tries to make a move on me? But if he did that would mean that he's really attracted to me…which would…well in that case…oh, God I don't know.

At least he let me convince him to do it tonight instead of yesterday like he wanted. It was just too much to handle in one day. So I got a day to prepare for this. But I'm still freaking.

Perhaps, I reason, since we are sort of stuck together, this is just Slade wanting to eat some decent food since he's been in prison for so long. All we ate yesterday was junk food. I hope it's just that. I can't allow myself to like him, he's, I tell myself for the hundredth time, a villain! Or at least he was six months before. I sigh and rub my temples. My job is simply to watch over him and make sure he redeems himself.

"Is there something on your mind Chastity?" He asks, looking up from his meal.

I shake my head. "No, just worried about my Mom." I lie. I called her yesterday by bumming a phone from a random stranger. Since there are no payphones and we haven't had time to get safe cell phones, it had to do.

"Chastity, my baby! My darling baby's alive!" She started crying as soon as she realized it was me.

Then I had to explain to her that though I was okay, things had gotten complicated and I wasn't going to be able to contact her again. She was so upset it broke my heart. I know right now she's worried about me. But at least she knows I'm alive.

"Well at least she knows you're alive." He says, giving me his usual steady gaze.

I nod slightly. "Yes, at least there's that." I take a bite of my steak and sigh. I'm wearing a dress that's more my style, a sleeveless yellow cocktail dress. I like it because it shows off my strong arms rather than exposing my chest. And it was only $190! Even though Slade says he has tons of bank accounts and hidden investments (in what I don't want to know) I'm still more comfortable with living on the cheap. Slade himself is dressed very sharply in a suit.

"Excuse me sir, my sincerest apologizes, but there is a phone call for you." A waiter says, sweeping up next to our table with barely a sound.

I raise my eyebrows, surprised and suspicious. Slade however, just smiles and shakes his head as he rises. "Nothing to worry about," He says, rolling his shoulders, his hands quickly buttoning his suit. "Probably just business."

So he leaves me sitting alone at our table. After a moment I figure while he's gone, I'll go to the bathroom.

I run water over one of the paper towels and then daub at my neck, trying to cool myself. Is it just me or is it warm in this place? Maybe it's just the wine making me flush.

The door swings open and I smile in the mirror at the woman who enters. She's a foreigner here, like me, hair short and blond, her lipstick a dark purple.

"Hi." I say softly.

She nods and heads into one of the stalls. I adjust my necklace, a silver rose, so that the clasp once more resides on the back of my neck. It is special to me. It's a necklace my brother got for me on my 17th birthday. Every time I look at it, it reminds me of him, the main reason I joined the service. You never think cancer will strike someone you know. Especially someone so young. Especially someone in your family. He was going to join the service, was so excited about it. I smile just thinking about his enthusiasm. So here I am, doing it in his memory. I wonder what he would think of me now. All grown up, and in China with some guy almost double my age. He'd probably say I'm crazy. How different things have turned out because he died. And how I pity Mother and Father's positions right now. They lost Randall, their only son, and now they're thinking they might lose me, their only daughter. They've always been against me joining the service. Told me I was throwing my own opportunities away. But it's just what I felt I had to do and I don't regret it. What would my life have been like anyway? I was just going to be a beautician. Here, I feel like I can make a difference. Like saving Slade from his past, if I can help him become a better person, then damn, I rule. And bless him, all Randall cared about was helping people. I think he'd be happy. Though I don't think he'd be happy with me crushing on Slade. However, that's where it's my life.

Yes, even if I quit now, I don't think I could go back and work at a salon. Being in the service has changed me. They trained me to be a fighter and that's what I am now.

A stall swings open and the blond woman steps out next to me and begins washing her hands. I look at her hair, thinking back to my beauty school days. "That's a really neat hair cut." I comment.

"Thank you." She smiles, her teeth shockingly white against her dark lipstick.

I smile back and then turn to go. That's when she grabs the back of my neck and I feel the cold sting of a needle slipping into my skin. I screech and reach behind, dropping to one knee as I flip her over my head. A loud thwack and she lands hard on the porcelain floor. I clutch at my neck as I try to stand. I pull out the syringe, it's only half plunged, but I already feel weird.

The blond woman gets up in no time flat and makes a charge at me. She lowers her head and hits me with all her weight at my waist and I slam back into the wall with a crunch. I elbow her in the back right between her shoulder blades and she cries out. But then I'm screaming as she pushes me against the wall, slowly sliding me up until she's got me over her shoulder. My eyes widen as I realize what she's about to do and that I can't stop her. Oh, fuck, this is going to hurt. Then my neck snaps and my teeth crunch together as I my body hits the floor like a lead weight. Seeing stars, I fight to stay awake as the woman kneels on my chest, knocking any air I had left in my lungs out.

She rests her hands on my neck. "Relax dear, it'll be over in a moment."

She's right; I'm starting to lose feeling in my legs. But I don't need my legs for this next move. I head-butt her, (Hey, my head's already bruised beyond belief) and throw her off me. Then we wrestle around on the floor until I miraculously manage to get her in the sleeper hold. She's like an animal, thrashing and hitting me in the thigh, face, arms, anywhere she can reach. I grunt and try to maintain the slow squeeze. She stabs me in the leg with one of her heels and suddenly I'm glad I can't feel anything down there. I'm drifting fast, but if I can just get her before she gets me…