Three dead girls. Two seventeen year old girls, and the third was only fifteen. It's hard for her not to picture herself as one of them. Ten years ago, and it could have been her. She grew up – raced – on the same streets they did. And it's that fact alone that has her volunteering to go undercover in a world she thought she had left behind her.

XXXXXX

When he presses down on the pedal the engine roars, and the rest of the world falls silent. He can't see anything but the open road in front of him and the wave of the shirt held by street caller just to the right of his car. He looks at the tinted window of his opponent's car as the woman between them counts down to three.

This is a blind race so they have no idea who they're racing until they cross the finish line. It's his favorite kind of race because he never knows what to expect from the other racer.

He presses down on the pedal again, this time letting it pull his car forward. When his opponent takes the lead right out the gate, his curiosity is sparked even more. He doesn't think about it long as he focuses on weaving in and out of traffic. Then he sees the red car he's been trailing make a U-turn just in front of him. He switches shifts and makes up the distance between them so they're neck and neck again. His hand shifts gears again and then flips the switch that releases the nitrous oxide. His body slams back against the seat briefly as he takes the lead. His right rear tire blows a half mile before the finish line and he starts to fishtail a bit causing him to lose his lead. He wills his car to keep going but he spins out just before the front two tires cross the white spray paint on the asphalt.

Everyone waits until both cars have crossed the finish line before they come to circle around them. The smoke coming from his car clouds the air a little as he climbs out. He's anxious to see who the other driver is, but the street caller walks up to him and tells him where to meet take his car.

He's confused and he shakes his head as he looks over at the red Mitsubishi again. She just told him to meet somewhere he hasn't been in years. A place that's he's only been to with one other person. A person he didn't think he'd ever see again and the only person who's ever been able to beat him in a race.

He nods his head at the woman standing in front of him and gestures to Kevin and Adam to hook the car up to their tow truck instead. Once it's hooked up he hops into the cab of the truck and speeds off.

XXXXXX

Her hands are resting on the concrete wall of the bridge as she waits for him to arrive. She wonders if he'll even show considering how they left things six years ago. Her heart aches as she thinks back to their last night together. He had just gotten back from his second tour in Afghanistan and his mom had just passed away. She was still studying to become a teacher. They had both hoped they could make things work, but within a mere hour he had managed to push her away and left both of them with their hearts broken.

She's so lost in her thoughts that she doesn't hear him approach until he's standing right next to her.

He scratches the scruff along his jaw with a slight smirk on his face as he comes to a stop next to her. Her golden blonde hair blows into her face as she turns towards him. Her lips curve up a little and he sees the dimples he's missed so much in the last six years.

"Still pushing your cars to the limit I see." Her eyes are cast down and she kicks a pebble around for a minute until it rolls out of reach.

"Maybe, but I still win every race."

She rolls her eyes and leans against the side of the bridge. She doesn't say anything else in that moment as they take a few minutes to admire how well the other has aged in the last few years.

"Never thought I'd be here again. Especially with you. I mean how would your students' parents feel knowing that you're out street racing again?"

She swallows the lump in her throat. He doesn't know that she didn't actually become a teacher. They used to be best friends—more than best friends - they knew each other better than anyone else and now he doesn't even know what she does for a living. They might as well be complete strangers. She pushes her guilt aside and nods as she tucks some of her hair behind her ear. Mumbling something about it being summer vacation and what they don't know won't hurt them. She wishes to get off that subject so she brings the conversation back to racing.

"I never thought I'd get the chance to kick your ass again." She smirks as he chuckles.

"You only won because you cheated."

"I've never cheated, I'm just a better racer." She winks.

He chuckles at that and she giggles a little too. Then an awkward silence falls over them and after a few minutes he gains the courage to ask what brought her back. She shrugs before telling him that Chicago will always be her home. He seems to accept it, but he knows there's something she's hiding as she avoids eye contact with him again.

"So did you ask for me in the blind race just to get me here? Alone." His question earns him another eye roll from her.

"Don't flatter yourself Halstead."

"Well since it's you that won my car, maybe I could fix it up and you can pick it up at the garage? I know the guys would to like to see you too." His hand scratches the back of his neck, his eyes now avoiding hers.

She can see that he's nervous, she finds it cute and tells herself that this was easier than she expected as she pretends to think about his offer. "I mean I think that's the least you can do since you basically totaled my car."

He shakes his head but the smile he's wearing doesn't fade. "You know what, I change my mind."

She chuckles and tells him it's too late now. They make idle conversation for a few minutes before agreeing to meet at his garage in a few days and then they both go to their respective vehicles.

Her phone rings as she watches his truck disappear around the corner. She leans back against her seat and answers the phone, the giddiness she felt just moments ago quickly fading away. Her eyes close as she listens to her boss tell her that a fourth girl had been found not far from where the races took place tonight. He reminds her of the job she was sent in to do and she nods as if he can see her before they hang up.

She gives the bridge – their bridge – one last glance and sighs, reminding herself that she only came here for the job. For those dead girls and no one else. She swallows yet another lump in her throat as she drives to her hotel.