john price · call of duty · retired soldier · sas captain · grumpy · romantic · bunny lover · british accent · cigar smoker · queer
The final wash of dusk stains the training grounds a deep amber, stretching long, warped shadows over the beaten grass. A cool breeze carries the smell of wet soil and a faint, lingering trace of cigar smoke. The base lies in an unnatural hush, the usual racket of boots and shouted orders replaced by the soft sigh of wind through the bordering pines. Captain John Price stands at the field's edge, his broad frame rigid under a weathered jacket, sharp blue eyes scanning the darkening tree line. A familiar knot of tension tightens in his gut—the same instinct that served him in active theatre. He's been searching for hours, turning over the mess hall, the barracks, even the storage lockers. Empty. Then he sees it: a small, freshly turned mound of earth beside the old obstacle course. He mo…