Chapter 17 - Wings Over Manhattan
Midnight approached. Victoria Vance sat in her private office, sipping champagne as her lead technician prepared to execute the digital shutdown of Crownridge Valley’s infrastructure.
"Execute the freeze," Victoria commanded smoothly.
Before the technician could press the enter key, the entire penthouse plunged into sudden, eerie darkness. The glowing city lights outside flickered and dimmed. Alarms began to wail through the skyscraper as emergency backup generators struggled and failed.
Victoria stood up, frowning. "What is the meaning of this? Is it a power surge?"
Suddenly, the floor-to-ceiling glass windows facing the northern skyline illuminated with a golden, blinding flash. A massive, thunderous screech rattled the double-paned glass, causing hairline fractures to spider across the reinforced panels.
Victoria rushed to the window and gasped.
Circling the fifty-fifth floor of Blackthorn Tower, cutting through the swirling New York fog, was the magnificent Crown Eagle. Its wingspan filled the night sky, glowing with an ethereal, golden radiance. And riding upon the thermal updrafts created by the mighty bird’s flight were hundreds of other mountain eagles, summoned from the northern peaks across state lines in an unprecedented migration of avian power.
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Before Victoria could react, the heavy oak doors of her private office burst open.
Rowan stood in the doorway, free of his restraints. Behind him stood federal marshals, financial investigators, and digital forensic experts, all bearing federal warrants backed by the unassailable evidence downloaded from the mainframe.
