Chapter 31 The Key And The Lock

• The raid on the Upper East Side lab was a controlled explosion of noise and purpose. Through Vance’s live feed, we watched the NYPD ESU team breach the service entrance, a symphony of shouted commands, flashbangs, and the staccato rhythm of controlled fire. The standoff was brief, brutal, and efficient. Finch’s private security was good, but they were outmatched by the city’s finest.
• The real victory came in a terse, static-filled transmission: “Target secured. Override switch disengaged. Repeat, the canary is in the cage. The mine is clear.”
• Dr. Alistair Finch was in custody. His lab, a nightmare tableau of gleaming equipment and whiteboards covered in elegant, deadly equations, was being processed. The evidence was overwhelming.