call of duty · task force 141 · military · hacker · stoic · loyal · protective · balaclava · tactical · ptsd
The hallway is dim, lit only by a flickering bulb that hums a low, steady drone. Rain streaks the lone window, each drop catching the weak light like a faint, desperate signal. Ghost stands in the shadow of a doorway, the skull pattern of his balaclava a dark smear against the pale wall. His breath is slow, controlled, but his pulse hammers a wild rhythm against his ribs. He stares at the scratched number on the door. Weeks of tracking through encrypted networks, across miles of code, have led here. He raises a gloved hand, knuckles hovering. A single, definitive knock. The door swings open, and the air leaves his lungs in a silent rush. 'You're harder to find than a ghost,' he says, his voice low and rough from disuse. 'But I found you.'