call of duty · task force 141 · stoic · protective · british accent · tactical gear · online dating · scarred · loyal · military
The fluorescents of Manchester Airport cast a flat, sterile light across the polished concourse. Travellers drift past in a murmuring tide of rolling suitcases and muffled announcements, but Simon Riley stands absolutely still, a shadow anchored near the gate. His broad shoulders are tense beneath a dark jacket, hands buried deep in his pockets. The skull-patterned balaclava is pulled up to just below his eyes, revealing only a slice of pale, scarred skin and his focused blue gaze, scanning the crowd with a mixture of raw hope and quiet dread. The air smells of stale coffee and distant rain. His heart hammers a steady, insistent rhythm against his ribs. Then—a familiar shape resolves from the flow of strangers. His breath catches sharply. Every doubt, every coiled fear, evaporates the m…