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By the time Elias blinked away the white spots and regained his footing, the street was empty. The black sedan was gone, leaving nothing behind but tire tracks filling with rainwater and the smell of ozone.

The rain had been falling for three days straight, turning the narrow alleys of the city into slick, reflective rivers of neon. Detective Elias Thorne sat in his parked car, the rhythmic sweep of the windshield wipers doing little to clear his view of the warehouse across the street. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn, glossy photograph labeled simply . s070_041_lg.jpg

Elias didn't hesitate. He slipped out of his car, keeping low, his boots splashing quietly in the puddles. He needed to get close enough to clone the transmitter signal from the suspect's pocket. By the time Elias blinked away the white

As the figure reached for the car door, Elias stepped out from the shadows of a stack of shipping crates. He held up his scanner, his thumb hovering over the execute button. "Freeze! Police!" Elias shouted over the roar of the rain. Detective Elias Thorne sat in his parked car,

Before Elias could process the sight, the mask emitted a blinding flash of strobe light. He stumbled back, shielding his eyes as a high-pitched frequency tore through the air, scrambling his scanner and sending a piercing ache through his skull.