Dancing With The Devil

no man's land.

By the time the flight landed, the sun was out and I was across the world. Chicago. A city with a population so large it left the city prone to live-action every day. A city where I was no longer Emrie Fey. Emrie Fey did not exist here and she never will. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number as I stood outside beside other travelers waving down taxis or reuniting with their loved ones.

"Hello?

"Kev"

"Madi, what's up girl?"

"Can you pick me up from the airport?"

"No way you're back in Chicago!"

"Like I never even left"

"Haha! I'm on my way"

During the few months, I first came to Chicago, I met many unforgettable people, though they didn't know who I really was. Hyunjin had made me a fake passport and ID when I first came here. In Chicago, I was Madelaine Grey. Kevin was one of those people, a reliable friend, and an even better detective at the Chicago Police Department. A short twenty minutes passed by and a dark grey Audi pulls up, windows down and the radio amplifying the closer it approached.

"I can't believe you're back!" He said, getting out of the car and pulling me into a hug. His big arms lifting me off the ground, his tanned skin reflecting off the roof of his car, and his buzzcut still the same length as it was three years ago.

"I missed the Chicago traffic too much, what can I say?," I laughed, getting into the car.

"You comin' by the station tomorrow? The others would definitely want to see you" he started the car.

"Absolutely. Are you guys working a case right now?"

"Yeah, the CFD is suspecting an arson case at a hotel fire they responded to. We'll get more details tomorrow". He drove with one arm casually at the top of the wheel, the other elbow leaning onto the middle armrest. "Anything crazy happen while I was gone?" I asked.

"This is Chicago, girl. 'Crazy' is every day. We closed a pretty heavy case last month. Took down an international prostitution ring and drug lord on the south side"

"Wow, nice,"

"So how about you? Anything new?"

"Not much. I got in a pretty bad car accident, fought some people. Nothing new"

"Yeah, I'm not surprised one bit," he said, laughing and pulling up to my apartment.

"Thank you for picking me up. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You know where to find us," he winked. I got out of the car and walked up to the apartment that I hadn't been to in years. I continued paying rent because Chicago was my home base whenever danger chased me. Any sane person with a pinned target on their back had a safe house. I had a safe city.

After retrieving my key that I hid inside a loose brick underneath the stairs, I unlocked the door. The door was stuck in its place, I shoved lightly with my shoulder to pop it open. With a quiet creak from the rusted hinges, I entered.

As I took the first glance around my place, it revealed itself to me in a rush. The apartment looked like a college kid's: cheap, transitory, and mostly uninspired. I promised myself I'd invest in a decent sofa or even a rug but I never got to it. On the table by the door sat a photo of me and Hailey, another detective that I loved like a sister.

The apartment didn't change one bit. Furniture was a little dusty and curtains closed, depriving the place of any sunlight. This was once my home and it will be for the rest of my life. Chicago was the only other place where I felt like I belonged. I couldn't go home to Korea even if I wanted to since there is currently a war with the Kwon's. Good thing for me, I never want to go back there. Today was the first day of the rest of my life. The life I always wanted. The life where my last name didn't make people cower in fear. I flicked on the lights and turned up the stereo. Blasting music to forget my troubles, I start cleaning up the place. A new and fresh start in every aspect of my life.