Chapter 2

The next day, Ilie decided she was ready to start working for Mario. When Kidow saw her waiting on customers and bussing tables, he made a snide comment about not having to sell her to a brothel now that she was of some use. She snapped back that no one could make her work in a place like that. Whether he believed her or not, she was confident that she was strong enough to fight ever being pimped out.

Over the next few weeks, Ilie adjusted to her new life. Most days she was either working at the cafe or hanging out with Lizzy and Naji. The main times Ilie and Kidow saw each other were eating meals together at the bar with Mario. Kidow's work schedule was sporadic. Sometimes he was gone for 2-4 days. But there were also many days off work, allowing him and Ilie to eat two meals together per day. Ilie was starting to feel like Kidow was actually warming up to her, at times even being nice to her.

She enjoyed getting to know the regular customers. Jin came in almost everyday, either bragging about his newfound treasures or complaining about not being compensated enough for said treasures. Many of the men jeered about how nice it was to have an actual woman around, making the food taste ten times better. Mario joked that he should start charging ten times the regular price.

One day, when Kidow wasn't around, Ilie asked Mario about his past. He explained that he was raised in the Far East, an area where all large cities had become insect cages. As a Far East exterminator, he was trained much more extensively than any of the local exterminators. Before he could explain more, a commotion outside distracted them.

Mario and Ilie ran outside to see what was happening. Three men, other exterminators, surrounded Kidow, threatening him. Though she didn't understand what was happening in the moment, she later learned that they were angry that the city's magistrate had commissioned him to partner with one of the military units in charge of protecting incoming trade caravans. A fight ensued, and Kidow took down all three of them while hardly breaking a sweat. While lying on the ground, one exterminator pulled out his gun and aimed directly for Kidow's head.

"Kidow!" Ilie yelled, unable to contain her fear. But before he could pull the trigger, Kidow had cut off his hand with his sword.

Wow, Mario wasn't kidding about Kidow's skills. No wonder he's getting all the jobs around here….oh my gosh I actually fought this guy! I mean it was a mock fight, but still.

Ilie pondered the violent incident from the day as she started her sink bath that night. Her hair was pulled back in a bun, and as she scrubbed under her arms she thought, Are most exterminators like those thugs that threatened Kidow? If so, I can see why most people don't like them. But did Kidow really have to cut the guy's hand off? He probably could've just knocked the gun out of the guys hand...not that I feel sorry for him. He was planning on shooting him!

Her thoughts continued as she let the water drip down her sides while she washed, not worrying about her panties getting wet since she was going to wash them when she was done. Back in Area A she would just bathe naked, but with the broken door lock, she always kept either her bra or panties on and her towel close by. And this day she was glad she did. She grabbed the towel as Kidow burst the door open, jolting her away from her thoughts.

"Geez Kidow, don't you knock? And couldn't you hear the water running telling you I was in here?"

He creased his eyebrows and quizzed, "I assumed you were just washing your hands, and I have to piss. Why are you bathing in the sink when there's a shower right there?"

"I don't like the cold water all over my body. Now can I have a little privacy?!"

"Relax, it's nothing I haven't seen before," he said as he walked in.

"Yeah, but you haven't seen it on ME! What are you doing?!"

He stood at the toilet right next to the sink and started unzipping his pants. "I'm sure it's nothing you haven't seen before either, Princess. I couldn't hold it."

She looked straight ahead and held her hand up to her face, blocking her peripheral vision. "Yeah, but it's nothing I've seen on YOU before," she said. He doesn't need to know that I've only seen it in science books though. "We've GOT to talk about boundaries! I need to know I can safely bathe in here without you sneaking a peak."

After he finished, he held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, I'm sorry. I'm not used to having to share the bathroom. Next time I hear the water running, I'll just go outside to take a piss."

"Thank you!" she said, although annoyed.

As he started walking out, she put a hand on his arm to stop him, "Wait…" When he gave her a confused look, she dropped her hand and said, "I wanted to ask you...has that happened before a lot?"

"Has what happened a lot?"

"Earlier, with those guys surrounding you and threatening you like that.."

"Oh that...they've tried to intimidate me before, but that's the first they ever started a fight, and it'll be the last if they're smart."

"I guess that's what they get for trying to bully the exterminator from the Far East, huh?" What am I doing? Am I trying to flirt with him?

He just stared blankly at her.

She felt her face turn red. Okay, I guess I hit a nerve…"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by that. I just got scared when I saw them threaten you like that."

He smirked and said, "You got worried about me, Princess?"

Her face got hot. She looked at the floor in an effort to hide her redness.

He patted her on the head before walking out, closing the door behind him. She leaned her back against the door and stared up at the ceiling.

What is wrong with me? Peeing in front of me and patting my head...he treats me like a little sister. She let out a small groan as she thought, But I can't help it, I really like him.

A few weeks later, Mario, Ilie and Kidow were having lunch together as the conversation focused on Ilie's recent past. She described how her town was riddled with crime and violence. Most of the soldiers and officers were corrupt. She talked about how her dad's main goal was to help her be safe from anyone intent to cause her harm. Mario asked her about the long journey from Area A to E-05. She described that it was mostly boring. They made a few stops in some cities to restock on fuel and food, but spent many nights in the car.

"So when you two left, why didn't your dad hire a bodyguard to escort you all the way from Area A to here?" Kidow asked.

"Because no one was willing to travel so far on what he could afford to pay."

"So up until you guys left, he feared what the cagasters would do to you more than the violent men in your village. What changed so suddenly for him to risk facing the cagasters?"

"I...I don't know…"

"Hmm…"

"Well Kidow," Mario interjected, "What's going on with the killings I've been hearing rumors about? Is it a stray cagaster?"

"No, this is not the work of those bugs. This looks more like an assassin."

"An assassin?!" Ilie asked.

"He seems to be targeting exterminators, but he has no qualms about killing anyone who gets in his way." He went on to describe in detail how the killer only mutilated the bodies of exterminators.

"How terrible," Ilie said.

After finishing his food, Kidow went upstairs to find an envelope on his bed. He opened it to find a map marking all of the locations of the previous killings, with one additional marker which he assumed was to indicate the location of the assassin's next target. He immediately went out to show it to the unit he was commissioned to work with.

It wasn't until a few hours later that it clicked in his mind - the marked location on the map was the watchtower that Ilie often frequented with Lizzy. The assassin typically struck at night, and the sun was just starting to set. He ran over to Mario's to check if Ilie was there. When Mario told him she had gone out with Lizzy, he made a mad dash for the watchtower.

It was almost dark by the time he made it up there. He was calling out for Ilie and Lizzy when he found two bodies, both exterminators with whom he had run-ins with in the past. He looked up just in time to dodge a strike from the assassin. He barely had time to pull out his sword before his opponent struck again.

The assassin, dressed head to toe in white, including a mesh cloth draped down to cover his face, wielded two swords and moved with supernatural speed. Somehow, Kidow managed to defend himself from the assassin's attacks and even got in a few good swings himself.

"You're a lot tougher than your friends here," the killer mocked, motioning towards the two dead bodies.

Instead of responding, Kidow remained silent as he studied his opponent. Who is this guy? How can he move so fast? Suddenly a set of six, insect like claws lashed out, nearly gutting him had he not ducked and rolled when he did.

"Impressive. I was trying to slice you open!" he jeered.

"What are you?!" Kidow questioned as he tried to grasp what his eyes were seeing. Six cagaster legs extended from the man's entire midsection.

"A monster!" he answered as he struck again, this time slicing into Kidow's arm with one of his bug legs.

Kidow's vision immediately began to blur, and he staggered a step. As he already knew, a cagaster's poison numbs the mind and body. He started to lose feeling in his limbs. In that moment, he knew he was a goner.

At the moment the assassin was about to strike, the loud gong from the watchtower stopped him. He left Kidow and started to climb the scaffold at superhuman speed. Kidow looked up to see Ilie banging the gong.

When Ilie saw Kidow and a white-dressed man engaged in an unavoidably fatal duel, she considered running out to help him fight. But her senses told her that she would only serve to weaken Kidow instead of help him. Though she was strong, she was no match for an elite professional killer.

Then she noticed the gong at the stop of the scaffolding. She climbed the ladder as fast as she could and hit the gong as hard as she could with the gavel laying next to it. Though she doubted anyone could hear her, she yelled for help as loud as her vocal cords would let her. She stopped as soon as she saw the assassin with his insect legs stretching out toward her.

"Ilie?" he said, stopping as soon as he saw her. "Ilie, is that you?"

Her fear turned into shock, "How...how do you know my name? Who are you?"

Before he could answer, a bullet tore through his neck. He swore and jumped off the tower. When she looked over the edge, he was already out of sight. She tore down the ladder and ran toward Kidow, who was braced against a rooftop wall, eyes closed.

Ilie shook him awake, yelling, "Kidow, wake up! Are you okay?"

Holding his hand to his head, he gruffed, "Ah, shut up, princess. I just need to sleep it off."

"But you're hurt…what's this?" she grazed over a bite mark on his right bicep.

"It's fine. The poison numbed my senses, I had to bite myself so I could feel well enough to get a good shot off him. I'll be fine. What happened to that guy?"

"He ran off after you shot him."

He closed his eyes and said, "Huh, then he's definitely not human...just let me rest my eyes for a few minutes."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?!"

"Yeah…" His eyes opened wide a moment. "But what about you? Are you hurt at all?"

"No, I'm okay. I'm not hurt...actually..."

"Okay," he smiled. "I'm really glad you're alright." His eyes closed and his mouth fell slightly open, telling Ilie he fell asleep.

She then laid her head in his lap. I'll just tell him what happened up there when he's feeling better...man I'm really falling for him. She drifted off while hoping he might share her feelings.

A few days later, Ilie ran a few errands with Lizzy. Lizzy confessed to finding her and Kidow together on the rooftop by the watchtower. She made a point to express her concern about her growing attachment to Kidow. "Please be careful around him."

"What do you mean?"

"Military men and exterminators...they really only want one thing from women. I'm just scared you're going to get yourself hurt."

"Oh I see," Ilie replied. "But what about Qasim? He's a military man...do you think he's like that?"

"Well no...to be honest, I've never seen him with a woman at all. But I've never met a good-hearted exterminator."

"You don't think Kidow is different from the others?"

"Maybe he is. But please just be careful. Don't let your guard down."

"I'll be careful. Lizzy, I'm thankful to have to watch my back. I think I'd feel so lonely here if I hadn't met you."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get all mushy on me now."

A/N: Sorry if the one scene from Kidow's POV messed with continuity too much. I thought about trying to go back and change it, but I still feel like it adds some value to the overall plot. I have several more chapters written out and soon to be published here (including some steamy scenes in the next chapter), and all of it is from Ilie's POV.