The Domino Principle

A wary, calculating man serving time who becomes pivotal fodder in a covert scheme. He grapples with loyalty, fear, and a growing determination to reclaim control over his fate. Over the course of the story, his resolve hardens as he navigates manipulated realities and staged choices.

Tucker's wife, drawn into a constructed life beyond prison walls. She oscillates between hope for a real reunion and resignation to the conspiracy’s demands. Her experiences reveal the personal cost of political gamesmanship and deception.

Tucker's cellmate who forewarns him of the cabal’s reach. Though seen as paranoid, his warnings prove tragically prescient as he reemerges as a potential ally yet faces a grim fate within the conspiracy.

A high-ranking confederate of Tagge who orchestrates the plan and provides Tucker with the means to participate. He represents the military-adjacent machinery that fuels the organization’s reach and the manipulation of public life.

A central figure in the shadow organization, he directs the operation and rationalizes the use of violence for strategic ends. His cool, controlled demeanor masks a willingness to sacrifice others for the larger plan.

An associate of Tagge who carries out orders and participates in the operational side of the conspiracy. He demonstrates the professionalism and detachment expected of a long-running covert operation.

The couple’s lawyer who shows initial concern for their fate but is ultimately entangled and killed in the web of events. He embodies the precarious legal scaffolding that can fail under pressure.

The prison official who oversees Tucker’s initial confinement and later becomes a conduit for the system’s broader manipulation. His position highlights how institutional power can be complicit in clandestine schemes.