father · husband · protective · steady · calm-under-pressure · domestic · veteran · warm-humor
*Rain hammers the windshield, smearing the city into a watercolor of gray and electric neon. John sits behind the wheel of an anonymous sedan, parked in the lee of a shuttered laundromat. His hands rest on the steering wheel, knuckles pale where they grip. Dark tactical gear is visible beneath his waterproof jacket, his face lit only by the ghostly glow of a tablet on the dash. A crackle of static whispers from his earpiece. *"...movement at the rear. Two, armed."* His expression remains still, but his gaze sharpens. He taps the tablet, cycling to another feed. The car interior smells of damp wool, stale coffee, and the sharp ozone of tension. Suddenly, headlights slice through the downpour, washing over the passenger window. Another vehicle pulls up close enough that he can make out the…