2025-03-25 05:43:17Brooklyn, New York – 4:15 A.M.
The night air was thick with the scent of rain and gasoline. The distant hum of the city was muffled by the pounding of Ethan’s heart as he sprinted through the dimly lit alleyways of Brooklyn. His breath came in controlled bursts, his mind processing one thing at a time—escape, concealment, survival.
He had been running for over an hour since his escape from the Hotel Aurora, navigating the darkened streets with the instincts of a hunted man. The authorities would have locked down every bridge, every subway station, every exit out of Manhattan. His face would be on every federal watchlist, painted as a traitor, a murderer.
Ethan knew better than to reach for his phone—it would be tracked. He needed to disappear, find a way off the grid before the net tightened around him completely.
Federal Investigation Bureau Headquarters – 4:30 A.M.
Inside the sleek, steel-and-glass headquarters of the FBI, Director Marcus Quinn stood before a war room filled with his top agents. A massive screen displayed Ethan Cross’s face—alongside flashing red markers indicating federal roadblocks, chopper search grids, and suspected escape routes.
“He’s our top priority,” Quinn’s voice was ice. “We have probable cause for first-degree murder, and considering his background, we classify him as an extreme threat. I want eyes on him in every borough by sunrise.”
Special Agent Vanessa Hart, a sharp, no-nonsense investigator with dark auburn hair pulled into a tight ponytail, folded her arms. “Cross is ex-CIA black ops. This won’t be a straightforward pursuit. He’ll know how to vanish.”
Quinn turned to her, his gaze unrelenting. “That’s why we need someone who thinks like him.”
Hart’s eyes narrowed. “And who exactly do you have in mind?”
A name flashed on the screen beside Ethan’s.
Damien Voss.
A former counterintelligence agent, now an FBI consultant. Ruthless, relentless. The only operative who had ever successfully tracked and captured Ethan Cross.
Hart exhaled. “You really think Voss will go after him again?”
Quinn’s expression darkened. “He doesn’t have a choice.”
An Underground Safe House – 5:02 A.M.
Ethan pressed himself against the cold brick wall of an abandoned warehouse, his pulse steadying. He had made it off the main streets, avoiding surveillance cameras and thermal scanners. He needed an ally, someone who could help him decode the setup before it was too late.
Only one name came to mind.
Dr. Evelyn Carter.
A former scientist for a classified intelligence program, Evelyn had been one of the few people to question The Dominion’s agenda. And now, she was his only hope.
Ethan pulled a burner phone from a hidden pocket in his jacket—one he had stolen hours ago. He typed a message into an encrypted chat system.
Ethan: I need to see you. Now.
Seconds later, the reply came.
Evelyn: You’re already dead, Ethan. Meeting you is suicide.
Ethan: If you don’t, we both will be.
There was a long pause.
Then—
Evelyn: Union Street. Warehouse 16. One hour.
Ethan exhaled. That was all he needed.
But just as he turned to leave—
A gun cocked behind him.
“Going somewhere, Cross?”
Ethan froze.
He knew that voice.
Damien Voss.
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The Silent Dominion Chapter 2 – Ghosts of the Past
An Abandoned Warehouse – Brooklyn – 5:07 A.M.Ethan didn’t move. The weight of Damien Voss’s gun pressing against the back of his skull was enough to remind him exactly who he was dealing with.Voss was a hunter. A relentless tracker with an almost inhuman ability to predict his target’s every move. Ethan had gone up against him once before, and it had cost him three broken ribs and a bullet lodged an inch from his spine. He wasn’t looking for a repeat.Slowly, Ethan raised his hands. “You move quietly for an old man.”Voss chuckled, his voice dark with amusement. “And you’re still too damn predictable.”Ethan calculated. The distance between them—three feet. Voss’s finger on the trigger—relaxed, but ready. If he moved fast enough, he could—No.Ethan forced himself to stay still. Voss wasn’t alone. He could feel it. The shadows in the warehouse weren’t just shadows—they were men, armed and waiting.“You’ve got the entire Bureau breathing down your neck,” Voss said, stepping closer. “
The Silent Dominion Chapter 3 – Seventy-Two Hours
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The Silent Dominion Chapter 5 – The Devil’s Bargain
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The Silent Dominion Chapter 6 – The Hunter and the Hunted
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The Silent Dominion Chapter 7– A Deal with the Devil
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The Silent Dominion Chapter 8: Into the Fire
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Chapter 76- Shadows over Oslo
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Ethan emerged from the shattered warehouse door into the crisp dawn air, his chest heaving from exertion and pain. Vick lay motionless on the cracked concrete, a harsh testament to the price of betrayal. Ethan spared the fallen enforcer no further glance—there was no time for reflection. With the third ghost drive secured in his jacket pocket, he sprinted to the parked motorcycle, climbed aboard, and roared off before the first distant siren could reach the underground labyrinth.Two hours later, Clara’s battered van pulled up outside the dilapidated safehouse cabin. Jason and Lyra were already there, Lyra pacing the small front yard with three unconscious captives slung over her shoulder,victims of the King’s trafficking rings, each rescued from a cell that would have become their tombs. Inside, Lucien lay on a makeshift cot, pale but breathing steadily now, bandages fresh, his strength slowly returning.Clara killed the engine and jump
Chapter 74 – No Sanctuary
As the first gray light of morning seeped through the windows of the secluded cabin, a fragile stillness settled over the tired group. Jason sat hunched before his laptop, eyes red-rimmed from three hours of decoding and re‑encrypting Lyra’s failsafe code. Clara sat near the cot where Lucien dozed under a thin blanket, his breathing ragged but steady. Ethan stood by the battered door, weapon in hand, listening to the forest’s quiet breath.They believed they were safe—at least for a few hours. But war had taught Ethan that calm was never real, and the King’s reach was long. He tightened his grip on the rifle, checking its ammo clip.Lyra approached, holding two small data drives. “The code’s split,” she said in a low voice. “These carry the fragments you need. Jason will upload them to secure nodes. Once they’re in place, we can call the strike.”Ethan nodded. “What’s our window?”
Chapter 73- In the Shadows of the Fallen
The van rumbled through the dense forest, the tires carving a path through the dirt and underbrush. The night had finally released its grip on the world, but the air was still thick with the tension of what they had just endured. The explosion, the drones, Lucien’s blood staining Ethan’s shirt, and the sense that they were only at the beginning of a much larger, more dangerous game.Ethan, still clutching Lucien’s shoulder, felt the weight of the situation pressing in on him. They had the drive, but the cost had been high. Lucien was alive, but barely. Every breath he took seemed more labored than the last, and Ethan was painfully aware that the clock was ticking on getting him the medical attention he needed.Clara’s eyes were focused on the road, her hands gripped tightly on the wheel, knuckles white. The stress of the mission was etched into her features, but her focus was unwavering. The way she steered the van through the twists and turns of the forest road made it clear—she was
Chapter 72-Unveiling the Ghost
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Chapter 71- No Safe Havens
The van’s tires screeched as Clara swerved onto a dirt path masked by heavy shrubbery and fallen branches. Ethan gripped the gurney tightly, steadying the unconscious woman whose pulse fluttered beneath his fingers like a dying flame. The others—the rescued captives—sat in stunned silence, their haunted eyes flicking between the rear window and the team that had torn them from hell.“She’s crashing,” Clara barked. “Heart rate’s unstable. Lucien, I need that med bag now!”Lucien reached behind him, yanked the emergency pack from the wall compartment, and tossed it forward. Clara moved fast, ripping open vials, attaching electrodes, and administering a stimulant. Sweat beaded her brow as she worked, every second ticking like a death sentence.Ethan watched her, jaw clenched. “Can you stabilize her?”“Maybe,” Clara snapped. &l
Chapter 70 – Smoke and Shadows
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Chapter 67 – The Devil’s Bargain
The black SUV loomed in the distance, its tinted windows giving nothing away. The night air hung thick, heavy with the scent of rain and the promise of something dangerous just around the corner. Ethan stood motionless, staring at the mysterious figure, his mind racing. Was this a trap? Was this their way out or the beginning of something even worse?Clara’s eyes flickered toward the vehicle, then back at Ethan. She was tense, every muscle in her body coiled and ready for whatever came next. She wasn’t stupid. She could tell this wasn’t a standard rescue operation. No one just offered a way out like this. There had to be a catch.But time was running out. The distant sound of sirens was growing louder, and the heavy footfalls of men closing in on their position made it clear they didn’t have much time to decide.“You’ll want to hurry,” the figure said, an edge of impatience creep
