Chapter 11: The Heist in the Penthouse
The penthouse was silent, bathed in the soft, cool glow of the Chicago skyline. Marcus moved through the expansive living room, his heart pounding a [more…]
Series: I recognized my ex-husband Marcus the second he stepped out of room 1402 at the Grand Monarch Hotel, holding hands with his new fiancé.
Chapter 12: Standing Before Internal Affairs
Sergeant Carla Jenkins sat at a nondescript metal desk in a sterile conference room at the regional Internal Affairs headquarters on Michigan Avenue. The room [more…]
Chapter 13: Fire in the Industrial Zone
The industrial warehouse on the Calumet River was a skeletal structure of rusted metal and broken windows, a stark contrast to the plush opulence of [more…]
Chapter 14: The Assembly at the Velvet Lounge
The news of Alderman Williams’s execution spread like wildfire across the city. Sirens wailed in the distance, converging on the industrial zone. Every available patrol [more…]
Chapter 15: The Reckoning Interrupted
I pushed open the door to Duke’s private office. The room was bathed in the dim, amber glow of emergency lighting, making the rich mahogany [more…]
Chapter 16: Red Lights in the Alley
The heavy steel doors of the Velvet Lounge burst open, showering the dim interior with the blinding flash of police lights. Sergeant Carla Jenkins, her [more…]
Chapter 17: Two Years in South Side
Two years later. Rain streaked the cracked windows of a small, unglamorous two-bedroom apartment on 87th Street in South Side Chicago. The air inside was [more…]