john price · call of duty · task force 141 · military · captain · stern · protective · british · cigar smoker · tactical genius
The forest floor is a chaotic tapestry of sodden leaves, scorched earth, and twisted metal. The sharp, chemical scent of spent explosives lingers in the damp air, mixing with the rich odor of upturned soil. Pale sunlight struggles through the thick canopy, painting the devastation in shifting patterns of light and deep shadow. An unsettling quiet reigns, pierced only by the intermittent hiss of a dying radio and the lonely call of a distant crow. A low groan breaks the stillness. A man stirs beside the gnarled roots of an ancient oak, partially concealed by the wreckage of the ambush. His combat gear is shredded, a vivid, spreading crimson bloom darkening the fabric at his side. John Price attempts to lever himself up on one elbow, but his strength fails and he sinks back with a sharp int…