Edge of the Dark

Chapter 35: Chapter 34: The Trapped Choice

The walls of the dimly lit corridor pressed in on Ethan, as if the very structure of the compound had come alive, conspiring to close him in. The man in the black suit, the shadow in the shape of Victor Cross, stood just a few feet away, blocking the path forward. His masked face gave away nothing, but Ethan could sense the danger emanating from him like a palpable force. The air was thick with tension, and time seemed to stretch endlessly between each breath.

Ethan's hand moved slowly toward his sidearm, but he hesitated. Cross wasn't just an enemy; he was an enigma, a calculating mastermind whose every move had been deliberate. Ethan knew that drawing his weapon now could be the catalyst for a chain of events he couldn't control. If he were to confront Cross, there was no turning back. And in the silence of the moment, he was painfully aware that his next choice could determine not just the outcome of this mission but his own survival.

For a long moment, neither man moved. The only sound was the steady, quiet hum of the building's ventilation system and the faint echo of distant footsteps somewhere in the complex.

Cross finally spoke, breaking the stillness. His voice was calm, almost bored, as if he were waiting for Ethan to come to terms with the inevitable.

"I've been watching you for quite some time, Ethan. You think you've been chasing a ghost, a phantom of corruption, but you've been chasing me all along. This entire charade was designed for one purpose: to lead you here, to this moment."

Ethan's jaw tightened. He had suspected as much, but hearing it spoken aloud made the reality even more chilling. Everything—the murders, the deceptions, the chaos—it had all been orchestrated by Cross to draw him in, to test him, to push him to the brink. But why? What did he hope to achieve?

Ethan took a step forward, his eyes narrowing. "You think you've won? You think you have me trapped?"

Cross's lips curled into a faint smile, almost pitying. "No, Ethan. I think you've trapped yourself. You've been playing into my hand since the very beginning. Every move, every decision you've made has led you to this place."

The words stung, but they were not without truth. Ethan could feel the weight of every choice he had made over the past months pressing down on him. The investigation, the alliances, the betrayals—they had all been part of Cross's plan. The moment he started digging into the case, he had unknowingly signed his own death warrant. And now, here he stood, facing the very mastermind behind the storm that had torn through his life.

Lila, standing just behind him, looked toward Ethan with concern, but she remained silent. She knew better than to interrupt in this fragile moment.

Ethan's eyes flickered toward the hallway, calculating their chances of escape. But the thought was fleeting. Escape was no longer an option. This was the confrontation—the one that had been building since the first clue had fallen into place. There was no turning back now.

"I'm not here to play your games, Cross," Ethan said, his voice steady, even as his mind raced. "If you think you can manipulate me, you're mistaken."

Cross tilted his head, his smile widening slightly. "Manipulation? No, Ethan. I'm offering you a choice. A choice that will determine everything. The only question is—are you ready to make it?"

Ethan frowned, his suspicion growing. "What kind of choice?"

The smile faded from Cross's face, replaced by something colder, more calculating. "You can walk away. You can leave this compound and forget everything you've learned. I'll allow it. I'll erase all the evidence, take care of the bodies, and you can return to your life, pretending this never happened. No one will ever know. You can disappear, like I've done, and live the rest of your life in peace."

Ethan's stomach churned. It sounded too good to be true, too easy. Cross wasn't offering mercy—he was offering a lie, an illusion of safety.

"And what do you want in return?" Ethan asked, his voice sharp.

"Your silence," Cross said, his voice as cold as steel. "Your complicity. You and I both know that the world is a broken place. We are both players in a system that rewards the ruthless and punishes the weak. If you walk away, I'll leave you alone. But if you choose to continue, if you continue to fight against me, then I will destroy everything you've ever cared about. Your friends. Your family. Everything. You won't just lose your life, Ethan. You'll lose your soul."

Ethan's heart pounded in his chest, but his resolve remained unshaken. He had faced death before. He had seen people close to him die. He had made sacrifices for the truth. But to walk away now, to betray everything he stood for, was something he could never do.

Cross's eyes gleamed, as if he had already anticipated Ethan's refusal. "A shame. I was hoping you might be more... reasonable. But very well. You've chosen your path. Just know this: you will never escape me. This is not a game you can win. It's a war, and you're losing."

For a moment, the air between them seemed to crackle with tension. Ethan's fingers brushed the cool steel of his gun, but before he could act, Cross made a sharp motion, signaling for something—or someone. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The shadows in the hallway shifted. Figures appeared from nowhere—armed guards, swarming the corridor, their guns drawn and trained on Ethan and Lila. Ethan's heart rate spiked, but he kept his composure, eyes scanning the situation, calculating every possible move.

"We have your every move covered," Cross said, his tone almost regretful. "But don't worry. You'll have a front-row seat to the fall of everything you've ever worked for. We'll show you the cost of defiance."

Ethan's mind raced. They were surrounded. Outgunned. Outnumbered. But they had something Cross didn't: resolve.

"Lila," he muttered, not taking his eyes off the guards, "take the shot if you can. I'll keep them busy."

Lila nodded, her expression hardening. She was a journalist, not a soldier, but she had learned from Ethan. She had seen what he was willing to do, and she had grown stronger because of it.

Ethan drew his gun, his hand steady. The guards were closing in, but he didn't flinch. The choice had been made. This was no longer about walking away. It was about survival, about confronting the enemy in front of him and hoping for a miracle.

He fired.

The shot rang out, echoing down the corridor like thunder. One of the guards went down, and in the chaos, Ethan moved. He sprang forward, ducking low and using the confusion to his advantage. He knew they couldn't take on this many guards—not directly—but he also knew that there was always a way out if they kept their wits about them.

"Daniel," Ethan shouted as he dove behind a stack of crates, "get us out of here. Now."

In the midst of the gunfire, Daniel's voice crackled through the earpiece. "I'm working on it. Hold tight!"

The room exploded into action. Gunshots echoed off the walls as the guards returned fire. Ethan felt a bullet graze his arm, but he pushed through the pain, focusing on the one thing that mattered: survival. He kept moving, constantly shifting his position, never staying in one place long enough for the guards to get a clean shot.

Lila was by his side, moving with precision, taking out one guard after another with cold efficiency. She was a far cry from the scared rookie he had first met—now, she was a partner, someone who could hold her own in the firestorm.

Cross stood at the far end of the hallway, watching the chaos unfold, his cold eyes never leaving Ethan's. He knew the game wasn't over yet. He knew they were just getting started.

But Ethan also knew one thing for certain: No matter how many times Cross tried to box him in, no matter how many traps he set, Ethan Ward would never stop fighting. Not now, not ever.

The choice had been made. And now, there was only one thing left to do—win.