Chapter 15 - The Blackout
The wind howled through the narrow gap between the twin towers as Marcus and Eleanor crept along the catwalk.
Below them, the city was a sea of flashing red and blue lights, wrapped in dense fog.
"The main control terminal for Vault 7 is in the central core," Eleanor said, her voice shaking from the bitter cold.
"If Arthur uploads the final encryption key, he will control every government agency in the country," she added.
"How do we stop the upload?" Marcus asked, eyeing the heavy security door at the end of the bridge.
"We cut the main power grid to the entire district," Eleanor replied, pointing to the regional substation three blocks away.
Marcus pulled out his tactical radio and switched to Maya's frequency.
"Maya, do you copy?" Marcus called into the microphone through the static.
"I have Sarah safe in the armored van," Maya's voice came through the speaker. "What's your status?"
"I need you to drive the van directly into the main transformer at Substation 4," Marcus commanded.
There was a moment of dead silence on the line before Maya answered.
"That will blow the power for six city blocks, Marcus," she warned.
"Do it now!" Marcus urged as bullets began sparking off the steel catwalk behind them.
Three minutes passed in agonizing tension as Marcus held off the advancing mercenaries with precise shots.
Suddenly, a massive orange explosion lit up the southern horizon in a flash of blinding light.
One by one, every streetlight, skyscraper window, and security camera plunged into total darkness.
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The red laser sights targeting Marcus flickered and vanished instantly.
"The grid is down!" Marcus yelled, kicking open the reinforced security door. "Move!"
