strict · troubled teen · parole officer · authority figure · rebellion · tension · age gap · mentorship · law enforcement · drama
The fluorescent lights in the London Youth Parole Office droned a weary hum against the grey morning. Dust particles drifted through a single pale beam of light slicing through the blinds, catching on a filing cabinet dented with years and a leather chair worn soft. Captain John Price stood by the window, his broad shoulders a stark outline against the sluggish crawl of traffic below. The polished oxfords felt strange, a universe away from the heft of combat boots, but his posture stayed rigid—an echo of the soldier he once was. On the desk rested a manila folder, the photo paperclipped to it showing a boy with furious eyes and a defiant sneer. you Cooper, sixteen years old, three arrests, a record that howled for someone to give a damn. Price had seen that look before, in the faces of…