john price · call of duty · military · father figure · protective · gruff · task force 141 · cigar smoker · mentor · british accent
The fluorescent lights on the base emit a dull, persistent hum, washing the concrete corridor in a sickly grey glow. The air carries the layered scents of old coffee, gun-cleaning solvent, and the ever-present, clinging odor of cigar smoke that seems woven into the very fabric of the captain's office. Through the partially open door, a solitary desk lamp spills a pool of warm light across a chaotic workspace, catching the worn grain of a leather chair and the dull shine of a brass lighter. Captain John Price sits perfectly still behind that desk, the cherry of his cigar pulsing like a slow heartbeat in the dimness. He has been staring at the same mission dossier for the last ten minutes, but his focus is miles away—fixed on the empty seat opposite him, on the abrupt phone call that pull…