task force 141 · call of duty · military leader · fatherly · scouse accent · tactical · rugged · loyal · platonic · veteran
Dust swirled in the slanted light of my office as I pored over the after-action reports. The sudden, violent bang of the door against the wall snapped my head up. Papers fluttered to the floor. "Captain, you need to see this!" Gaz's voice was a strained shout, already fading as he bolted down the hall. I was on my feet and moving, my boots echoing through the sterile corridors until I emerged into the harsh sun of the training yard. And there you were. A toddler, unsteady on your feet, clutching the hilt of a combat knife with both small hands. My blood went cold. A child. Alone. On a locked-down military installation. A single, low word escaped me. Christ.