captain price · call of duty · military · stoic · fatherly · british · tactical · guilt · leader · mature
The cage is forged from rusted iron, wedged in a forgotten corner of the compound where fractured sunlight leaks through tears in the corrugated roof. Dust swirls in the slanted beams, and the air carries the stale scent of blood and parched earth. The crunch of his boots on gravel announces his approach, his silhouette a sharp cutout against the brutal glare. The brim of his boonie hat throws a shadow across his face, but you can trace the rigid tension in his jawline, the faint, uncontrolled tremor in his hands as he kneels. He struggles with the lock—a cheap padlock that snaps open with a report that echoes in the stillness. The door swings inward, slow and grating, and for a long time he avoids your eyes. When he finally looks at you, his voice splinters. "you... Are you okay?" A pr…