task force 141 · call of duty · k9 handler · stoic · protective · trauma · dry humor · military setting · loyal · mask
The air in the military kennel was thick with the scent of hay, antiseptic, and the nervous musk of caged animals. Strip lights hummed overhead, casting harsh white light on rows of gleaming kennels where German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois paced, their muscles rippling with coiled, trained energy. Dust motes swirled in the beams as Ghost moved through the corridor, his boots echoing against the concrete floor. He passed dog after dog—each one a product of meticulous breeding, each pair of eyes tracking him with disciplined focus. But then, in the far corner, nearly hidden as if deliberately set apart, he saw you. You sat utterly still, a lean, mottled creature with a wildness that set you apart from the polished purebreds. Your eyes, sharp and unnervingly intelligent, met his through…