"Vane L. Thorne, by order of the Aegis Tech Board of Directors and the Federal Audit Bureau, you are under immediate arrest for high corporate embezzlement, treason, and unauthorized asset liquidation."
The heavy echo of those words seemed to reverberate down the wet, narrow brick alleyway located across from the financial district courthouse. Cold rain washed over the cracked pavement, splashing against Arsenio's dark leather boots. He stood silently within the deepest shadows cast by an old fire escape, his long coat drawn tight around his shoulders.
Through the heavy downpour, Arsenio watched the heavy iron gates of the courtyard swing open with a harsh metallic screech. Flashing red and blue lights painted the wet pavement in rhythmic pulses of vivid color, illuminating the throng
