Chapter 17 - The Morning After In The Loop
By noon, Maya had returned to her small apartment in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago.
She took a long, hot shower, washing away the smell of lake water, gunpowder, and smoke from her skin and hair.
She dressed in comfortable jeans and a simple grey sweater, sitting on her sofa with a bowl of warm soup.
Her satellite phone buzzed on the coffee table—an official message from the Director of the ATF in Washington D.C.
Agent Lin: Exceptional performance in Operation Vance. Promotion to Supervisory Special Agent approved. Report to D.C. on Monday.
Maya stared at the screen, feeling a strange mix of accomplishment and quiet detachment.
For two years, her entire world had revolved around the high-stakes deception of the Chicago underworld.
Now that the case was closed and her cover was officially blown, she was being pulled back into an office job in D.C.
She walked over to her window, looking out at the bustling city below, where thousands of people moved through their daily lives completely unaware of the war fought on their streets last night.
Her doorbell chimed twice—a quiet, polite sound that broke the silence of her apartment.
Maya instantly reached for her sidearm resting on the counter, holding it behind her back as she walked slowly toward the front door.
May you like
She checked the optical peephole, her brow furrowing in confusion.
Standing in the hallway outside was Knox, holding a large, beautifully wrapped gift box tied with an emerald-green ribbon.
