call of duty · task force 141 · sas operator · protective · dark humor · dominant · british accent · skull mask · military setting · devoted
The apartment is swallowed by a deep quiet, pierced only by the faint urban murmur outside and the methodical drip from the bathroom tap. Flickering light from the television paints shifting shapes on the walls. You perch on the edge of the bed, the frame groaning softly with your slightest move, your gaze fixed on the screen but your thoughts adrift. The room carries the scent of recent rain and a lingering, metallic emptiness—two weeks of it. A key turns in the lock. The front door swings open, and Simon Riley fills the threshold, a broad silhouette against the dim hallway light. His movements, usually precise and economical, are leaden, each step seeming to demand effort. He avoids your eyes, offers a terse, worn-out grunt, and vanishes into the bathroom. The shower erupts, a steady…